Orlando City vs. Atletico San Luis: Three Keys to Victory

Orlando City hosts Atletico San Luis at Inter&Co Stadium Sunday in the team’s second Leagues Cup group match. The Lions will be looking to extend their six-match undefeated streak against the Liga MX opponent. As much as I detest Don Garber for forcing this upon us, Orlando City might as well try to win the thing.

What do the Lions need to do to get a second win in the Leagues Cup against San Luis?

Take Advantage of Added Rest

It’s not exactly a short week for San Luis, but it is definitely a quicker turnaround for the opposition than it is for Orlando City. San Luis played CF Montreal Tuesday night, losing 3-2 in a match that saw 14 minutes of second half stoppage time. San Luis will have nearly five days to recover, as compared to Orlando City’s nine days of rest.

There might be some that worry that nine days is too much time between matches, especially given how Orlando City was performing. I think Oscar Pareja has his players in the right frame of mind, allowing them to be ready for San Luis. The added time will also allow any knocks to heal up prior to the match.

More Goals Please

Orlando City has scored 18 goals in the last six matches. Ramiro Enrique is on a roll with five goals in five consecutive matches. Whatever has gotten into him, let’s hope it keeps going. The other 13 goals have come from a variety of players, including defensive midfielder Cesar Araujo and fullback Dagur Dan Thorhallsson. The diverse nature of Orlando City’s attack can give any team trouble. If the Lions can continue that three-goals-per-game average against San Luis, the odds of a victory are pretty good.

DPs Keep DP-ing

Martin Ojeda has finally figured out MLS. I’m not sure if it was his fitness level, or some mental aspect, but with goal contributions in seven consecutive matches across all competitions, he is rolling. Facundo Torres has hit his mid-season form as well. With those two Designated Players contributing at a DP level, the Orlando City offense is feasting on the competition.

If, somehow, Luis Muriel was to also find that level, it would spell doom for many of Orlando City’s opponents, no matter what competition we’re talking about. The Lions need the DPs to keep up the production, which allows all the other players to level up. I’ll be looking for more from Torres and Ojeda.

That is what I will be looking for Sunday night. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. Vamos Orlando!