Orlando City vs. New England Revolution, 2019 U.S. Open Cup: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More

Welcome to your match thread for a Wednesday evening match-up between Orlando City and the New England Revolution in the U.S. Open Cup Round of 16. This is the first meeting between the two MLS Eastern Conference rivals this season, with league games coming up on Saturday, July 27 at Gillette Stadium and Saturday, Sept. 14 at Exploria Stadium.

Both teams have won their past two matches — one each in the U.S. Open Cup and in MLS.

History

The Lions are 2-3-4 in the all-time series against New England and 2-0-3 at home, but the teams have never met in USOC play.

The most recent meeting saw the Revs top a depleted Orlando side, 2-0 in Gillette Stadium last Oct. 13. Cristian Penilla and Diego Fagundez provided the offense. In the first match-up of 2018, the teams combined for six goals in a 3-3 draw at Orlando City Stadium on Aug. 4. Orlando battled back from a 2-0 deficit after Juan Agudelo and Penilla found the net. Dom Dwyer pulled one back and Amro Tarek scored his first MLS goal (which shockingly was never changed to a Matt Turner own goal, if I’m being honest) to level things. Teal Bunbury restored the Revolution’s lead, but Scott Sutter headed home a Yoshimar Yotún set piece delivery in the 93rd to rescue a point for the Lions.

City completed a 6-1 demolition of 10-man New England at home Sept. 27, 2017. Kaká scored a brace, with Dwyer getting his first home goal and Yotún and Antonio Nocerino each getting their first ever goal as Lions. Seb Hines also scored for Orlando and  Lee Nguyen got the Revs’ only tally on a free kick. New England won at Gillette Stadium that year by a 4-0 count and it could have been worse. Kei Kamara scored a hat trick and Bunbury also scored, with Nguyen assisting on all four goals to tie an MLS record. Jose Aja was sent off after receiving two yellow cards.

Orlando beat the Revs at home in Jason Kreis’ debut as the Lions’ coach on July 31, 2016, as Kevin Molino scored a brace for City in a 3-1 win. Cyle Larin also scored to more than offset Kamara’s strike. The teams also drew 2-2 twice in 2016 (and three times in the first four meetings), starting with the weird affair in Orlando back on April 17, 2016, in which the teams reached a controversial 2-2 final score. It was leveled by a very late Nguyen penalty for a handball in the box on Servando Carrasco, who didn’t touch it with any part of his hand or arm. Kaká opened the scoring on a penalty and Molino scored in the 92nd minute. Between those two goals, Bunbury scored off a corner that should have been ruled a goal kick. The second 2016 meeting reached the same final score on April 30 in New England. This time the Revs appeared the better side for much of the game, but the Lions fought back twice from one-goal deficits on goals by Molino and Carlos Rivas to nullify scores by Fagundez and Agudelo. 

The teams met twice in 2015, with Orlando City rallying from a 2-0 deficit in the final 17 minutes to draw 2-2 (there’s that score again) at the Citrus Bowl in April. Larin and Aurelien Collin provided the goals for the Lions. The Sept. 5 rematch at Gillette Stadium didn’t go as well, with New England taking a 3-0 win. Fagundez, Agudelo and Chris Tierney scored for the Revolution.

Overview

Orlando City has been on a bit of an upswing, but so too has New England under Bruce Arena. The Revolution and Lions nearly always play tight games and City doesn’t seem to have much of an answer for Bunbury, who is in fine form after scoring twice to lead the Revs to a 3-2 comeback win over the Red Bulls in last week’s Cup game. Fagundez and Penilla have also found success against the Lions, so Orlando will need a stout defensive effort, especially with Dwyer still recovering from a hamstring injury.

Orlando’s win at Memphis last week was due in large part to the midfield controlling the game, as two-thirds of the attacking line — Santiago Patino and Tesho Akindele — were largely invisible on the evening, while Chris Mueller had to drop deeper to get on the ball and then seemingly had no targets to pick out with a final ball.

With the Lions facing MLS competition and no game this weekend, I believe we’ll see a mixed lineup but with more regulars than we saw at Memphis. I’m not sure Orlando can get away with playing four center backs against the Revs, so hopefully we’ll see Ruan and Joao Moutinho on the field. It has been 18 days since Brian Rowe last played so although this otherwise might be another Adam Grinwis appearance, it’s possible that Rowe will get the start.

Most of City’s players not on international duty should be available, including Benji Michel, who has returned from the U.S. U-23 camp.

New England should be without Luis Caicedo, who was sent off late in last week’s match after picking up a second yellow.

Official Lineups

Orlando City (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Adam Grinwis.

Defenders: Joao Moutinho, Robin Jansson, Lamine Sané, Ruan.

Defensive Midfielders: Cristian Higuita, Dillon Powers.

Attacking Midfielders: Santiago Patino, Sacha Kljestan, Chris Mueller.

Forwards: Tesho Akindele.

Bench: Brian Rowe, Kyle Smith, Carlos Ascues, Alex De John, Shane O’Neill, Benji Michel, Nani.

New England Revolution (4-1-4-1)

Goalkeeper: Matt Turner.

Defenders: Edgar Castillo, Jalil Anibaba, Andrew Farrell, Brandon Bye.

Defensive Midfielder: Scott Caldwell.

Midfielders: Cristian Penilla, Juan Agudelo. Wilfried Zahibo, Carles Gil.

Forward: Teal Bunbury.

Bench: Brad Knighton, DeJuan Jones, Tajon Buchanan, Antonio Mlinar Delamea, Diego Fagundez, Juan Fernando Caicedo, Justin Rennicks.

How to Watch

Match Time: 7:30 p.m. ET.

Venue: Exploria Stadium — Orlando, FL.

TV: None.

Streaming: ESPN+.

Twitter: For rapid reaction and live updates, follow along at @TheManeLand, as well as Orlando City’s official Twitter feed (@OrlandoCitySC).

Match Thread Rules

This is your live thread for posting comments on the match. So use our comments section below to talk about the game in real time with other supporters. If you’re new, welcome to our happy home! While you’re here, please observe a few basic rules:

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Enjoy the match! Go City!

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