Orlando City is back in action Wednesday night, taking on Robert Lewandowski and Chicago Fire FC.
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The Lions (6-10-3, 21 points) and the Fire (10-6-2, 32 points) kick off at Inter.co Stadium at 7:30 p.m.
“It is going to be a really good game … Teams like us and Chicago, bringing this level of players, it’s great,” Orlando interim head coach Martín Perelman said. “We are at home, and we will prepare the game, and we will try to win it.”
Lewandowski joined Chicago in July after a storied career, leaving FC Barcelona with over 100 goals in just four seasons. The Polish striker has been prolific across his career, including with Borussia Dortmund and an eight-year run with Bayern Munich. He has scored three times for Chicago already and has been a dangerous threat up top.
Orlando brought in Antoine Griezmann this summer to fill a similar role leading the attack, although the French forward is more of a creator than an out-and-out goalscorer. He has added two goals and an assist for the Lions, but his biggest contribution has been in opening up space for players like Tyrese Spicer and Justin Ellis to exploit.
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Chicago currently sits in third place in the East, 11 points behind the leaders, Nashville SC. Hugo Cuypers, one of the top goalscorers in the league, left for Monterrey after Lewandowski joined, but players such as Philip Zinckernagel (5G, 7A) remain. Head coach Gregg Berhalter likes his teams to be strong defensively and press the opponent, waiting for space to open up in the attack.
Orlando has looked better defensively, but Chicago will be a difficult test in the Florida heat. The Lions looked gassed against Cincinnati, so they will need to find an extra level against such a potent attack. Adrián Marín is likely to be back in the starting lineup after Bernardo Rhein left the Cincinnati game injured, and Marín performed better than he had in recent weeks leading up to his benching. His performance could dictate how well Orlando withstands Chicago’s press.
It was also announced this week that Orlando midfielder Wilder Cartagena will be suspended for the next Leagues Cup match after reaching the three yellow card limit. That suspension will not apply until the next time Orlando plays in the Leagues Cup, which at the earliest would be next season.
After this, Orlando welcomes Real Salt Lake to town for the last of a three-game home stand.
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