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Orlando City vs. D.C. United: Final Score 1-0 as Lions get Road Win on Mauricio Pereyra’s Goal

It’s another shutout for Pedro Gallese as the Lions win in D.C. for only the second time ever and the first time at Audi Field.

Published

3 years ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

Mauricio Pereyra’s goal just seven minutes into the match propelled Orlando City to a 1-0 win over D.C. United at Audi Field in Washington, D.C. The Lions (2-0-3, 9 points) are unbeaten in five matches to start the season, which is the team’s best run since joining MLS. It was also just the team’s second road win over D.C. United (2-4-0, 6 points) and first at Audi Field.

Orlando City is now 5-6-1 in the all-time series against D.C. in league play and 5-6-2 in all competitions. On the road, the Lions improved to 2-4-0 on the road against United in league games and 2-4-1 in all competitions. It wasn’t pretty, but the Lions were able to grind out a game in which they were under pressure much of the night.

“I’m very happy, very proud about the effort of the players,” Head Coach Oscar Pareja said after the match. “I think today we needed much more than football, and the boys did it. They defended well.”

Pareja made a couple changes to the lineup in front of goalkeeper Pedro Gallese. Ruan didn’t make the lineup after picking up a knock last Saturday. Despite assurances that he was available in Friday’s press conference, he made the trip and was seen with an ice pack on his leg on the broadcast. Kyle Smith switched to his natural right side and Joao Moutinho started on the left side of center backs Antonio Carlos and Rodrigo Schlegel. Junior Urso and Sebas Mendez manned the central midfield, with Benji Michel taking Chris Mueller’s spot in the starting XI on the right and Pereyra pulling the midfield strings, as usual. Nani and Tesho Akindele were the attacking force again.

Orlando got a chance early with Nani heading wide on a cross from the right. Then D.C. was able to ugly up the game for a bit.

The Lions then decided to go route 1 to play over the press and it paid off in the opening goal. Smith sent a long ball forward for Pereyra and the Uruguayan chested it down to Akindele. Tesho gave it back to Pereyra, who fought off a defender and fired past Jon Kempin for the opener in the seventh minute.

Pereyra celebrated afterwards by pulling up his jersey to reveal a t-shirt with a photo of a close friend he lost this past February. He had been waiting to honor Santiago García with a goal and the moment was a bittersweet one for him.

“It was a happy and a difficult moment for me,” he said. “I was really waiting for this moment because I lost a really good friend in February. He was a soccer player and we grew up together. We played together since like we were 10-11 years old and then we played in Nacional and we were champions there. So, I have a lot of moments with him and the honor was for him.”

Just moments after what turned out to be the game’s only goal, United nearly pulled it right back. D.C. worked the ball in through the defense to Adrien Perez, but Gallese got there first. The ball got through and was cleared off the line by the defense but Perez had fouled Gallese anyway on the shot attempt.

D.C. started throwing more numbers forward and pressing higher all across the pitch, with the forwards pressuring Schlegel and Carlos and the wingbacks pinching up to press the fullbacks. This forced the Lions to have to be quick, decisive, and accurate with their passes out of the back and they just weren’t on this night. Even a ball only slightly off line was quickly taken away from its intended target.

Gallese made a leaping stop on a headed ball by Drew Skundrich in the 21st minute as the hosts kept attacking, but it wasn’t ruled a save.

Orlando did fashion a few opportunities to double the lead. One of those came in the 22nd minute when Nani shook free on the left side of the box but fired over the net.

D.C. came right back down the pitch and forced a good Gallese save — his only one of the match — on an Edison Flores shot that was smashed toward the near post in the 23rd minute. Seconds later, Perez fired a volley shot over the bar. D.C. quickly regained possession on the ensuing goal kick and Perez’s shot was deflected out for a corner.

Nani fired just over the bar in the 31st minute off a well-worked short corner and I can’t believe I’m typing the phrase “well-worked short corner,” because for years the Lions have made an absolute mess of those plays.

D.C.’s most dangerous chance came off an Orlando set piece. The Lions worked a free kick to the right but Smith’s cross in was short and D.C. quickly cleared and countered with speed. Moutinho ended up with a vital blocked shot on a Paul Arriola attempt to prevent a goal.

As the half wound down, it looked like only a matter of time before Orlando unlocked D.C. with a counterattack. Michel’s heavy touch, however, spoiled two such chances. Just a couple moments from halftime Michel got to a deflected cross first and turned toward goal but let the ball run too far out in front of him and the defense closed and cleared. Then in first-half stoppage time, Michel was in the clear and about to be behind the defense when he took a touch so heavy the ball ran about 25 yards out in front of him and went out harmlessly for a goal kick.

D.C. out-shot Orlando City 6-4 in the first half, with each team getting one shot on target. The hosts also led in corners (4-2). The Lions held more possession (53.6%-46.4%).

“I think in the first half we were able to find our spaces and still play our game,” Moutinho said. “But then in the second half they made it harder for us. I think we were also a little bit tired. But yeah, we stayed together. Didn’t concede that that many chances.”

Out of the break, Arriola nearly equalized for D.C., sending a shot from the right just inches wide of the left post. That was a warning of things to come as Orlando City white-knuckled its way through the second 45 minutes.

Just 11 minutes after the restart Pareja subbed Michel off for Robin Jansson, who made his season debut. The Beefy Swede’s introduction was part of a tactical change that Pareja said was designed to ease the pressure from D.C.’s two pressing forwards and to give some help to Moutinho, who was thrust into a full 90-minute shift for the first time since last summer.

“Joao is coming from a long period with no activity. We didn’t have Ruan neither today. It just gave me a feeling that we were going to need help in the back,” Pareja said. “Because Flores and Perez were very active in the first half. And Antonio and Rodrigo were coming man-to-man with them, and they have ability. So I wanted to add one more player there.

“I did not do it when the half ended, because I wanted to wait at least 10 minutes to see if we could have a couple more rushes from Benji. But when they brought (Julian) Gressel fresh (on Moutinho’s side), we decided just to make the sub and bring in Robin. I thought it was a move that helped us a lot to conquer the three points. They looked stronger. Joao needed help and then they looked more solid.”

It was Moutinho’s foul that set up an opportunity for D.C., but Fredric Brillant headed wide on a near-post header. It looked like Gallese had that post covered anyway.

Moments later, Nani sent a shot on the left side into the side netting from a tight angle.

Still, the hosts kept the pressure on for almost the entire second half, turning the possession advantage in their favor. Despite their possession advantage and an inordinate number of free kicks and corner kicks, the Lions didn’t allow many shot opportunities, and even fewer in good positions.

Perhaps the most dangerous chance came on a free kick in the 72nd minute when a curving, in-swinging cross short-hopped in front of Gallese, but El Pulpo managed to fight it off into the air and then catch it before a D.C. attacker could arrive.

The Lions were able to battle through all of the set pieces and see the game out in the end, capturing that elusive second win of the season and the first on the road.

D.C. ended up with more possession (55%-45%), and more shots (13-6), but neither team put a shot on frame in the second 45 minutes. United also had far more corners (10-2) and was slightly better in passing on a night when neither team really shone in that area (74.7%-72.8%).

Gallese kept his third clean sheet of the season and his sixth as a Lion, moving past Tally Hall into third place behind Joe Bendik (13) and Brian Rowe (8).

“Today the maturity of the team is strong,” Pareja said. “I think we’re getting better defensively. We’re stronger. Offensively we need to get better too.”

“Since the first day that (Pareja) came in, he really taught us that defensive-minded side of the game,” Moutinho said. “He always reinforces that idea, that first we have to defend well, not concede goals, and then, going forward, the things will appear. So I think that the defensive consistency is one of our main focuses. And I think that’s been showing.” 

Pareja mentioned the same-day travel taking its toll on the team and said he’d rather have played a mid-week game like D.C. did and have a normal travel schedule than fly on game day.

“This morning we flew two hours and a half, and then we came to the hotel and we ate. And then we have to come to the stadium,” he said. “So that was, for me, more challenging than others. Today was difficult and that’s why I respect their performance today.”

“Those are the conditions and we didn’t complain and this is a good thing that this team has,” Pereyra said. “Nobody’s complaining. Nobody’s looking at these small things. And now we are having a really good moment. We are happy with the winning. And I think we deserved the win.”

The Lions return home Saturday night when Toronto FC “visits” Exploria Stadium. The Reds have been training and playing in Orlando so they won’t have far to go.

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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. FC Cincinnati: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More

The Lions look to bounce back from a tough loss to Toronto against league favorites FC Cincinnati.

Published

9 hours ago

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May 4, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

Welcome to your match thread for a Saturday night matchup between Orlando City (2-4-3, 9 points) and FC Cincinnati (5-2-3, 18 points) at Inter&Co Stadium (7:30 p.m., MLS Season Pass on Apple TV+). It’s the first of two scheduled meetings between the teams this season with the Lions scheduled to make the return trip to Ohio on Oct. 5.

Here’s what you need to know for the match.

History

Orlando City leads the all-time series, 4-2-3, with a 2-1-1 mark at home. The teams last met on Sept. 2, 2023, with the Lions claiming a 1-0 win on enemy soil, becoming the first road team to beat FC Cincinnati all season. Facundo Torres scored the game’s only goal. Orlando had to hold on down a man late when Wilder Cartagena was sent off. The teams played to a 0-0 draw in Orlando on March 4, 2023 in the most recent meeting in Central Florida.

The Lions fell 1-0 at TQL Stadium on June 24, 2022. A second-half goal from Brenner represented all the offense, but it could have been worse for Orlando City as Pedro Gallese made eight saves in the match. The first meeting of 2022 took place in Orlando on March 12, with FC Cincinnati notching its first win in the all-time series, 2-1 at Exploria Stadium. The Lions were more in control but were wasteful, despite dominating the stat sheet. The visitors got a brace from Brandon Vazquez to offset Junior Urso’s goal in the 42nd minute.

The final meeting of 2021 was on Oct. 16 in Cincinnati, when Orlando City got its first road victory in the series, 1-0 on Urso’s goal in the 13th minute. Tesho Akindele should have scored a second off the crossbar late in the game, but the play was never reviewed, despite video evidence that the ball was completely across the line.

On Aug. 7, 2021, the match in Cincinnati ended up in a 1-1 draw. Nani’s strike rescued a point after Brenner had opened the scoring for the hosts just before halftime, taking advantage of an obviously injured Uri Rosell, who subbed off moments later. The first of the three meetings in 2021 came on May 21 in Orlando, with the Lions posting a 3-0 win. Akindele scored in the first minute and Nani and Urso each added a goal.

In Orlando’s first trip to the banks of the Ohio River, the match ended in a 1-1 draw at Nippert Stadium on Sept. 29, 2019. Benji Michel’s goal in stoppage time rescued a point for the Lions after Allan Cruz had given the hosts a lead. The draw officially eliminated Orlando City from playoff contention that year, but realistically the Lions had been out of it for a while.

The first ever meeting between the two sides took place on May 19, 2019, when the Lions pummeled the expansion side, 5-1. Both Nani and Akindele bagged braces in the match and Dom Dwyer added a goal as well.

Overview

The Lions are coming off a 2-1 stunning late defeat at home to Toronto FC one week ago. Orlando City led much of the match on Duncan McGuire’s strike but couldn’t find a second and the visitors turned it around with two late headers from the 87th minute on. That was Orlando’s first loss since March 17. The Lions are just 1-2-2 at home this season.

Cincinnati is coming off a 2-1 home win over the Colorado Rapids and has won its last two matches, including its most recent away game at Atlanta, 2-1 on April 20. The Ohio side is 3-1-1 away from home on the season.

FC Cincinnati is basically good at everything but has not found as much success in the attack so far this season, although Luciano Acosta paces the club with four goals and five assists in 2024. Yuya Kubo has been pressed into service as a forward this season and has responded with three goals in 10 matches. Corey Baird has joined the team this season and although he hasn’t completely settled in yet, he’s got a goal and two assists.

The defense, however, which was already good last season, has been bolstered even more. The team has only conceded nine goals and that has largely to do with the arrivals of center back Miles Robinson and fullback DeAndre Yedlin. The two USMNT defenders join Matt Miazga and others in forming a sizable and nearly impenetrable wall in frong of goal. Scoring hasn’t been easy all season for Orlando City, but it may prove even more difficult tonight.

“Cincinnati has a model that is very concrete,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said ahead of the match. “We know it, we have played them last year. Coach hasn’t changed much; we don’t see many changes on their squad or the way they do (things). We’re conscious on what we need to do well. It’s always a good match against them. They have done a good job in the past year, and we have done it too, so we’ll see.”

The Lions will be without forward Ramiro Enrique (ankle) and Homegrown fullback Tahir Reid-Brown (thigh), while center back David Brekalo (thigh) is listed as questionable. FC Cincinnati will be without Aaron Boupendza (jaw) and may still be without defender Nick Hagglund (leg).

Match Content

Official Lineups

Orlando City (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Pedro Gallese.

Defenders: Rafael Santos, Robin Jansson, Rodrigo Schlegel, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson.

Defensive Midfielders: Cesar Araujo, Wilder Cartagena.

Attacking Midfielders: Ivan Angulo, Facundo Torres, Martin Ojeda.

Forward: Duncan McGuire.

Bench: Mason Stajduhar, Kyle Smith, Michael Halliday, David Brekalo, Felipe, Jeorgio Kocevski, Nico Lodeiro, Jack Lynn, Luis Muriel.

FC Cincinnati (3-4-1-2)

Goalkeeper: Roman Celentano.

Defenders: Ian Murphy, Matt Miazga, Miles Robinson.

Midfielders/wingbacks: Luca Orellano, Pavel Bucha, Obinna Nwobodo, DeAndre Yedlin.

Attacking Midfielder: Luciano Acosta.

Forwards: Yuya Kubo, Corey Baird.

Bench: Alec Kann, Alvas Powell, Nick Hagglund, Bret Halsey, Malik Pinto, Gerardo Valenzuela, Kipp Keller, Kevin Kelsy, Yamil Asad.

Referees

REF: Ismail Elfath.
AR1: Corey Parker.
AR2: Kyle Atkins.
4TH: Alyssa Nichols.
VAR: Younes Marrakchi.
AVAR: Fabio Tovar.

How to Watch

Match Time: 7:30 p.m.

Venue: Inter&Co Stadium — Orlando.

TV/Streaming: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV+.

Radio: Real Radio 104.1 FM (English), Mega 97.1 FM (Spanish).

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

Enjoy the match. Go City!

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Opinion

Predicting Orlando City’s May Results

Take a peek into the crystal ball as we predict this month’s fixtures.

Published

10 hours ago

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May 4, 2024

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

After earning four points in the month of April across three matches with a 1-1-1 record, Orlando City looks to calm the storm and gain meaningful results against several squads above them on the table and a few of the Eastern Conference’s best. The Lions will play six matches in the month of May, and before action kicks off later tonight at home against FC Cincinnati, I wanted to put my psychic abilities to the test to try to predict the teams results over a very full month.

Saturday, May 4 — vs. FC Cincinnati

The most important part of a bad loss is not allowing it to beat you twice and that is exactly what the Lions will look to avoid as they attempt to shake off the gut-wrenching, last-minute loss to Toronto FC from the end of April when they host FC Cincinnati. Last year’s Supporters’ Shield winners are riding a two-game winning streak into the match after dispatching the Colorado Rapids 2-1 in their most recent outing. Cincinnati is a different squad than the one that won the shield a year ago, with USMNT striker Brandon Vazquez playing in Mexico and acquisitions like Miles Robinson and DeAndre Yedlin joining the squad this year. Luckily, Orlando’s offense has awakened and in the month of April the Lions scored multiple goals in two out of their three matches. Cincinnati will be without the services of Aaron Boupendza due to a broken jaw and I like this match to be high scoring but level.

Prediction: Orlando City 2-2 FC Cincinnati.

Saturday, May 11 — at Philadelphia Union

The Union have found themselves in a bit of a post-Concacaf Champions Cup haze, much like Orlando has, with only four points separating the squads through nine matches. Subaru Park, a previously impossible site to win at for road teams, was finally cracked by Orlando City last year, and the Union have already lost in front of their home crowd once this year, thanks to Real Salt Lake. The first road test of the month for the Lions will test the team’s ability to play in a hostile environment and a win could go a long way towards the climb up the table. Orlando will still have to deal with Andre Blake, Jack Elliot, and Daniel Gazdag, but this version of the Union feels slightly less menacing than in years past.

Prediction: Orlando City 2-1 Philadelphia Union.

Wednesday, May 15 — vs. Inter Miami

Lionel Messi and friends on a short week after an away match…it feels like the schedulers are just doing this on purpose at this point, doesn’t it? Orlando will look to avenge its worst outing of the year to date, a 5-0 drubbing that happened in South Florida back on March 2. The key to this match will be managing emotions, as the Lions have shown in the past that they have the right players in place to frustrate Messi, but they also can get caught up in the moment. This one could be a coin flip, as both sides could potentially see heavy rotation and Miami continues to deal with several injuries to its supporting cast. Nonetheless, I think Orlando flips the script in this one and the match against the boys in pink becomes a turning point for the entire season.

Prediction: Orlando City 2-0 Inter Miami.

Saturday, May 18 — at San Jose Earthquakes

San Jose has had an abysmal start to their year and is currently tied with the New England Revolution for Wooden Spoon darlings, sitting on four points. Still, this will be Orlando’s third match in eight days, a task the team has not had to deal with since balancing both Concacaf and the MLS regular season in March. This feels like the trap game on the schedule to me, coming off of a tough midweek match against intrastate rivals and with the high-scoring juggernauts known as the Columbus Crew coming up the week after. I expect Oscar Pareja to rotate the squad for this one to try to save some miles on the legs, and that will ultimately be the team’s undoing as it has to salvage a draw late against the Quakes.

Prediction: Orlando City 1-1 San Jose Earthquakes.

Saturday, May 25 — vs. Columbus Crew

The Columbus Crew will face off against the Lions in their first matchup of the season late in the month. The reigning MLS Cup holders have been on a heater in both MLS regular-season play and in the Concacaf Champions Cup, and they are now set to face CF Pachuca on June 1 in the final match of the tournament. The timing of that match one week after this could create some interesting storylines, as the Crew — also have a midweek fixture on May 29 — look to stay fresh. As an Orlando fan, I wouldn’t hold my breath, hoping for some obscure names in the starting 11. The Crew are capable of hurting teams in a myriad of ways, and even with a week’s rest and training back in Orlando, I think the squad that knocked OCSC out of the 2023 MLS playoffs will again find a road victory as the Crew look to tune up for their championship final.

Prediction: Orlando City 0-2 Columbus Crew.

Wednesday, May 29 — vs. Chicago Fire FC

The whirlwind month ends in the Windy City, as Orlando travels to Chicago for a midweek fixture to close out the month. Chicago has had an up-and-down start to the season, much like Orlando has, and the Fire currently sit just one point ahead of the Lions on the table. Orlando took both meetings in 2023 by 3-1 final scores. I think after five other matches in the month, chemistry issues should be a thing of the past, and while road points always come as a premium in MLS, I think Orlando will keep its streak against the Fire alive by jumping on top early and then coasting to a win.

Prediction: Orlando City 3-0 Chicago Fire FC.

If things go as I have now spoken them into existence, Orlando will earn 11 points in the month of May. The month will also finish with Orlando closer to the playoff line but still on the outside looking in. My predictions are based on historical results that the squad has put in against these teams, schedule congestion of both the Lions and their opponents, and finally, the true belief that this team has the tools necessary to earn victories at the end of the day. Check back at the end of the month to see just how close I came to predicating the correct results. Vamos Orlando!

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Orlando City

Intelligence Report: Orlando City vs. FC Cincinnati

Get all the inside information you need ahead of Orlando’s match with FC Cincinnati.

Published

1 day ago

on

May 3, 2024

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Another Orlando City matchday looms large this weekend, as the Lions will try to put Saturday’s thoroughly dispiriting loss behind them. They’ll have a tough task ahead of them though, as they welcome an FC Cincinnati team to town that currently sits second in the Eastern Conference.

A match against FCC means I spoke with Justin Blair of the always excellent Cincinnati Soccer Talk. As always, Justin was very helpful in getting us all caught up on Cincy before tomorrow’s match.

The nine goals conceded by FC Cincinnati are tied for the fewest given up by any team in the league. What’s been working so well for FCC defensively so far?

Justin Blair:  In 2023, FC Cincinnati was tied for fourth in goals conceded with 39 allowed (Orlando, NYCFC, and RBNY). This season is continuing that impressive trajectory. The addition of Miles Robinson, arguably the best MLS center back, was a home run signing for FCC. Robinson joins 2023 Defensive Player of the Year Matt Miazga as the feature center back duo. But Pat Noonan’s system asks for three in the back and has been plugged with a rotation of players that have kept the defense stout. I have to mention that central defensive midfielder Obinna Nwobodo is arguably the most underrated player in all of MLS. He is an extremely skilled player that flies around and acts as a catch-all in front of the back line. 

Brandon Vazquez departed in the off-season for Monterrey. In his absence, who has Cincy turned to for goal scoring?

JB: Brandon Vazquez is a tremendous striker for FCC and has been solid for Rayados with 10 goals in 22 appearances. But his form never hit stride in 2023. He had nine goals across all MLS competitions, which was down from a career high of 18 goals in 2022. FCC had to find goals in other places last season, so they aren’t exactly in uncharted waters. So far in 2024, reigning MLS MVP Lucho Acosta has been carrying the load with four goals and five assists. Yuya Kubo, who I affectionately call FCC’s Swiss Army knife, has seen recent minutes at the forward position. Kubo’s confidence on the ball and chemistry with Acosta has seen him score three goals in a short amount of time. Surprisingly, FCC’s star Designated Player striker Aaron Boupendza has fallen in the graces of the squad and hasn’t hit consistent minutes this season.

Run me through some of the other arrivals and departures that took place during the off-season. Who are a few names to watch out for?

JB: Well FCC’s off-season was a doozy to say the least. Several departures include the previously mentioned Vazquez, along with Sanitago Arias, Yerson Mosquera (loan), Alvaro Barreal, Dominique Badji, Junior Moreno, and Ray Gaddis — all of whom played significant minutes for the orange and blue during their 2023 Supporters’ Shield season. For incoming players, GM Chris Albright brought in Robinson, Pavel Bucha, Luca Orellano, Kipp Keller, and Corey Baird during the off-season. The additions of DeAndre Yedlin and Yamil Asad have also worked their way into the matchday rotation. Every piece added has felt like an upgrade or at least a comparable replacement. This is, of course, with the exception of replacing Vazquez.

FCC (recently) announced the loan signing of target striker Kevin Kelsy from Shakhtar Donetsk. The young loanee is sure to see considerable minutes with FCC but will likely not feature in the match versus Orlando City. I would keep an eye on Orellano for FCC. The left wingback is the heir apparent to Barreal that is so critical for Cincinnati’s ability to progress the ball from the midfield into the attacking third. Orellano is clean with his touches and can serve up line-splitting through balls that are perfectly weighted.

Will any players be unavailable due to injury, suspension, etc.? What is your projected starting XI and score prediction?

JB: Unavailable players might include Yedlin (hip), goalkeeper Roman Celentano (ankle), forward Sergio Santos (leg), and center back Nick Hagglund (knee). It seems uncertain if either or all will miss minutes in the match versus Orlando but most likely to participate would be Celentano, who was a late scratch versus Colorado on Saturday. 

Starting XI (3-5-2): Roman Celentano (Alec Kann); Bret Halsey (DeAndre Yedlin), Miles Robinson, Matt Miazga, Ian Murphy, Luca Orellano; Obinna Nwobodo, Pavel Bucha, Lucho Acosta; Yuya Kubo, Corey Baird.

Score Prediction: Oscar Pareja seems to have Pat Noonan’s system figured out. FCC also struggles to find wins against Orlando City. I’m going to go with a 1-1 draw when the final whistle sounds. 

Thanks again to Justin for the great info on FCC. Vamos Orlando!

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