Orlando City SC Quick Facts:
Regular Season Record: 6-9-6
Points: 24
Goal Differential: -5
Eastern Conference Rank: 8th
Total Shots: 254 (10th)
Last Five Matches: 1-3-1
Home Record: 3-5-3
Columbus Crew SC is heading to the Sunshine State this weekend as the Black & Gold face Orlando City SC for the fourth time this year.
The two sides already met twice in MLS play and once in the U.S. Open Cup this year. The series has been an even affair so far, with each team registering a win and a draw.
Crew SC lost the Open Cup match in Orlando on June 30, but is undefeated against the Lions in MLS play. The Black & Gold are looking for their second away win of the season when they visit the Citrus Bowl at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday.
If the previous clashes are any indication, expect a physical and entertaining affair in Orlando. Pushed by its sea of purple supporters, the Lions tend to be on the aggressive side at home. Yet, Orlando still seeks consistency at the Citrus Bowl, having won only three of its 11 matches at home.
Orlando is currently eighth in the Eastern Conference with 24 points through 21 games played, and enters Saturday’s match on a three-match losing skid across all competitions. Most recently, the Lions fell to New York City FC in a wild 5-3 loss at Yankee Stadium.
Orlando prefers a 4-2-3-1 formation that is dedicated to stability in the middle of the pitch. With Kaká pulling the strings in midfield, Orlando unsurprisingly ranks first in the League in many passing categories, including overall passing accuracy and passing accuracy in the opponent’s half.
MLS All-Star Kaká sits in the attacking midfielder role, creating quality opportunities for himself and whoever fills the striker position. As of late, it’s been the up-and-coming rookie, Cyle Larin, who just earned MLS Player of the Week honors after scoring a hat-trick in New York City. The 20-year-old recorded OCSC’s first ever hat-trick and became the second youngest player in League history to do so.
As a duo, Kaká and Larin have accounted for over 69 percent of their team’s goals, tallying nine goals apiece for 18 of Orlando’s 26.
The Lions’ ability to advance successfully into their opponent’s half is among the best in the League, as they connect on 75.26 percent of their passes. But finishing clinic has been somewhat of a struggle for the Floridians. While Orlando ranks 10th in MLS for total shots, the team is second-last in MLS in shooting accuracy, putting only 39.8 percent of its shots on target.
In its two regular-season matches against Crew SC, Orlando fired off 35 shots, converting two of them. Both of those goals were unassisted, which is not an uncommon trend for the Lions, as they rank 17th in the League in assists (15).
Though it’s well too early to consider this matchup a rivalry, the physicality between Crew SC and Orlando is certainly there. Eight yellow and two red cards have been dished out in the two regular-season matches. All season, the Lions have accumulated 38 yellows cards and committed 291 fouls, which ranks them sixth in the League in both categories.
Saturday’s match-up has all the makings of yet another physical affair, as both sides continue their push for the playoffs. While second-place Columbus seeks to distance itself from the rest of the pack, the Lions aim to catapult themselves above the red line and into the playoff mix.
Follow Saturday’s action live on Time Warner Cable SportsChannel, CD 102.5 or La Mega 103.1.
