Orlando City at Philadelphia Union: Three Keys to Victory

Orlando City finally gets a full week of rest after playing five matches in 15 days through last Saturday’s loss. Now, there is the possibility of a healthy and rested squad as the Lions head to Subaru Park to take on last season’s Eastern Conference leaders. The Lions are looking to bounce back after the first loss of the season.

Here are the things that the Lions need to do to secure three points against the Union this weekend on the road.

Battle of the Keepers

The Union are without starting goalkeeper Andre Blake. As such, former Orlando City keeper Joe Bendik will be in the net for Philadelphia. Orlando City will need to put the ball past the former Lion to earn points on the road. That may be easier than dealing with Blake, but that means putting the ball on target. That is something the Lions have had difficulty with so far this season.

On the other side of the pitch, Orlando City will be without Pedro Gallese who is out on international duty. Mason Stajduhar will get his first start of the year, and he is ready to step up. This is not the first time that Stajduhar has started with Gallese away, but given how well El Pulpo has played this year, the shoes — or tentacles — to fill may be bigger than ever. Orlando City needs Stajduhar at his very best, or maybe even better, to be able to get a result.

Adjust to Attrition

The Philadelphia Union will be missing several players due to international call-ups.  Daniel Gazdag, Damion Lowe, Jose Martinez, and Richard Odada are with their international squads. Brandan Craig, Jack McGlynn and Quinn Sullivan are all with the U-20 USMNT. Gazdag and Lowe in particular are key players the Union will miss.

Of course, Orlando City is also missing some players for the match due to international call-ups. Gallese, Wilder Cartagena, and Facundo Torres are with their respective countries’ national teams. Meanwhile, Thomas Williams, Michael Halliday, Alex Freeman, and Favian Loyola have all been tapped for USMNT U-20 and U-19 squads.

Whichever squad is able to most effectively use their backup players will have an advantage in the match.

Acquire an Attack

As I mentioned above, Orlando City has not had much luck finding the back of the net so far this year. This is not unexpected given the new faces with the club, but it is still a point of frustration. There have been some bright spots, like Duncan McGuire’s surprise production early. Martin Ojeda finally opened his account against Charlotte, and he will be looking to add to his total.

However, the Lions will be without Torres’ creativity in the attack and will need to find other ways to deliver the ball to the strikers. One good thing about the fixture congestion to start the season is that all the players you’ll see this match have gotten some minutes due to the need for rotation. That wouldn’t normally be the case so early in the season.

Orlando City will almost certainly need to score more than one goal this match — something the Lions have yet to do this year. If it’s not McGuire or Ojeda, then perhaps Ercan Kara can get another goal, provided he’s recovered from his knock. I don’t care where the goals come from, and neither should Orlando City. Just make it happen.

That is what I will be looking for as the Lions take on Jim Curtin’s Philadelphia Union. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.