Orlando City vs. D.C. United: Three Keys to Victory

Orlando City got an unexpected three points midweek when it knocked off Charlotte FC 4-1 at home. The performance and ensuing result continued a trend of improved performances for the Lions now that Robin Jansson is healthy and back in the team. OCSC will now try to build on Wednesday’s victory when it hits the road to take on D.C. United on Saturday. What follows are three things that I believe will go a long way toward helping the Lions bring home all three points from the nation’s capital.

Stop Tai Baribo

I don’t like suggesting that one player is responsible for the entirety of a team’s offense, because when it comes to soccer, that’s rarely a truly accurate statement. The mere fact that there are 11 players on the field at a time means that scoring goals usually involves several different players in order to get the ball into the net. That being said, D.C. United has scored eight league goals on the year and Tai Baribo has six of them. D.C. is 2-1-1 in games in which Baribo finds the back of the net, and 0-2-3 in games when he fails to score. The striker flashed exactly how lethal he can be in his team’s wild 4-4 draw with the New York Red Bulls on Wednesday, as he bagged a hat trick and helped rescue a point for D.C. with an 80th-minute equalizer. OCSC did a good job of neutralizing Idan Toklomati on Wednesday, but Baribo provides an altogether different sort of challenge, and the defense will need to put in another focused and composed performance if it’s going to keep him off the scoresheet.

Win the First 15

Something Orlando City did an especially good job of in the second half was winning the first 15 minutes of the period. The team flew out of the break and created an excellent chance that Martin Ojeda buried in the 49th minute to give OCSC the lead for good. Ivan Angulo should have scored six minutes later, only to put his shot wide, but Ojeda scored another goal in the 61st to put the game to bed. While the opening 15 minutes of the first half weren’t dominant, the Lions still started the game composed and created a couple of good chances for Ojeda and Justin Ellis. It was a welcome departure from previous games that have seen Orlando concede early goals in the opening minutes of both halves. Even if the Lions can’t get on the board in the opening moments of the first and second half, it’s important for the team to come out focused and intense, and establish a strong foothold in the match. Setting a strong early tone is important on the road, and it’s vital that Orlando does so tomorrow.

Toe the Disciplinary Line

While the Lions need to play with the same intensity and effort that we saw in Wednesday’s win, they also need to be careful and not get carried away when it comes to physicality. The team picked up five yellow cards midweek, and while no one is close to being suspended for yellow card accumulation yet, it’s obviously important to not go too far and pick up a red card. OCSC is likely to have another young lineup on Saturday, and some of the team’s youthful exuberance was on display against Charlotte. Iago, Luis Otavio, and Ignacio Gomez were responsible for three of the team’s five yellow cards, with Gomez’s booking coming just one minute after he was subbed onto the field for Zakaria Taifi. The Lions did well to not pick up any further bookings and get reduced to playing with 10 men, but there were moments when it felt like they just barely toed the line without crossing it. Orlando needs to replicate the balancing act of playing with speed and intensity, while not taking things too far and picking up bookings that put the team into a bad situation.

There you have it, folks. Nothing is guaranteed in this sport, but if the Lions can shut down the dangerous Baribo, come out strong to start both halves, and play with a high level of intensity while not crossing the line, I think they’ll be in a very good position to pick up all three points against D.C. United. Vamos Orlando!