Only one match remains for Orlando City before the World Cup break, and the Lions are riding high after an exhilarating 4-1 victory over Atlanta United in the U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals.
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Now, the Lions (4-8-2, 14 points) travel to take on FC Cincinnati (4-5-5, 17 points) in MLS action at TQL Stadium on Saturday. Kickoff is 7:30 p.m. If Orlando City can get the road victory and collect all three points, it would pull level with Cincinnati for ninth place in the Eastern Conference standings. The top nine sides in each conference advance to the playoffs.
“We are preparing this game like the most important, not because it’s much more important than the previous ones, but because always the next one is the (most) important for us,” Orlando interim head coach Martín Perelman said. “So it’s true that it’s the last one of this semester, but for us it was about one game at a time. Hopefully we can do a good job in Cincinnati.”
Orlando has been steadily improving in recent weeks, scoring 13 goals in its last five games in all competitions. French forward and World Cup winner Antoine Griezmann will join up with the squad in July, and he will be counted upon to help elevate the offense to an even higher level.
In the meantime, the Lions take on a Cincinnati side that has just one win at home against Orlando in seven matches since joining MLS in 2019. Forward Kevin Denkey leads the attack for Cincy, with eight goals. Cincinnati’s last four home matches have featured a combined 24 goals, setting the stage for Orlando to keep its offense firing on all cylinders.
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Despite the offensive improvements, Orlando’s defense has still struggled for consistency. The Lions have kept just one clean sheet in all competitions, a 1-0 victory over FC Naples in the U.S. Open Cup. This final game before the World Cup presents a great opportunity to finally keep a clean sheet in league play.
Marco Pasalic and Maxime Crepeau will be representing Croatia and Canada at the World Cup, respectively, and Perelman sees this as a great opportunity for Orlando City’s players to perform on the global stage. Good performances by them, as well as rest for other key players over the summer break, will be helpful for the Lions as they look to make a playoff push in the second half of the season.
“Being represented by our players in the most important event in the world of soccer, it’s a matter to be proud of,” Perelman added. “I’m happy in general when the players reach their individual goals, because at the end of the day, they have their own careers, and they need to develop, and the best for them is the best for the club.”
Following this match, Orlando is off until July 22, when the Lions travel to northern California to take on the San Jose Earthquakes. Orlando City’s first home match after the break will be July 25 against Nashville.
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