By Victor Araiza
Deportivo Toluca FC and Orlando City SC meet in the Leagues Cup Quarterfinals, each seeking to extend their respective unbeaten streaks and parlay it into a trip to their first Leagues Cup Semifinals appearance.
HEAD TO HEAD
- 1st ever meeting
- Record at Leagues Cup: Toluca FC (9-2), Orlando City (6-3)
LAST FIVE GAMES
- Orlando City
- 4 Wins, 0 Draws, 1 Loss
- Lost their first Phase One game in penalty kicks, but bounced back with two wins in order to advance.
- Toluca FC
- 4 Wins, 1 Draw, 0 Losses
- Won all three Phase One, the first in penalty kicks and the rest in regulation.
MAIN STORYLINES
- Both teams enter this matchup in current hot streaks. Toluca is on a five-match unbeaten streak, while Orlando has won four straight games.
- Orlando City's Martín Ojeda co-leads the Leagues Cup with three assists and is the overall leader in goal participations with 6.
- Toluca’s Paulinho has scored in every game this tournament, he co-leads Leagues Cup with 4 goals.
- Alexis Vega is expected to be back for Toluca after being out recovering from injury.
KEY FACTORS
- Orlando City
- Red-hot offensively, outscoring Looking for their first 5-game winning streak since September-November 2023
- Martín Ojeda leads the club in MLS play with 14 goals and 14 assists, positioning himself as one of the favorites for League MVP.
- Luis Muriel has two multi-goal games in the past three appearances, scoring a hat-trick against Necaxa and a brace against Inter Miami CF
- Toluca FC
- Paulinho has six goals in all competitions to start the 2025/26 campaign
- Helinho is the club’s leading scorer in the Apertura 2025 with three goals
- Mexican national team star Alexis Vega is one of the club’s top offensive players and won several end-of-the-year awards for his output in the 2024/25 season
WHAT TO EXPECT
Two of the most explosive offenses in North America collide in the Leagues Cup Quarterfinals when Toluca FC faces Orlando City SC on Wednesday at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California.
Fresh off winning its 11th Liga MX title and the Campeón de Campeones trophy, Toluca is just three victories away from adding the Leagues Cup — and claiming its third championship in four months.
Los Diablos Rojos enter the clash unbeaten in three Leagues Cup matches and coming off a 1-1 draw against Pumas UNAM that kept them inside the Liga MX Apertura 2025 top five. With Paulinho, Alexis Vega, and the reigning Mexican champions leading the charge, Toluca now turns its full focus back to continental glory.
“We're doing very well, with a lot of energy, knowing that every game has its degree of complexity,” said head coach Antonio Mohamed. “We have to keep thinking positively, keep learning, keep adding. I think the squad is on that path. So, we're going to keep fighting in every tournament.”
Toluca is tied for first in Liga MX for most goals scored this season with 13 — matched only by Tigres UANL.
On the other side, Orlando City SC boasts one of the most dangerous attacks in MLS. The Lions sit tied for first in the league with 53 goals scored, level with Inter Miami CF. Argentine playmaker Martín Ojeda has been at the heart of that production, contributing to 28 goals in league play and adding six more in the Leagues Cup.
Orlando arrives in California riding a four-match winning streak across all competitions, including a 4-1 statement win over Inter Miami followed by another high-scoring 3-1 victory against Sporting Kansas City.
“The first thing is that we need to recover the players, and we need that energy back again, kind of to fuel their tank and be prepared for the rival that surely is going to be complicated,” said head coach Oscar Pareja.
“We are so honored to represent our club, our community, in such a good tournament that it was very challenging to qualify in the first four,” Pareja added.
