Orlando City SC will look to keep rolling in all competitions when they host Sporting Kansas City on Saturday night.
The Lions (12-6-8, 44 points) are 5-0-1 in their last six matches, covering the group stage of the Leagues Cup and their three-match winning streak in regular-season action. Orlando City’s most recent result was a convincing 4-1 win over Inter Miami last Sunday.
Between that Florida Derby victory plus the Leagues Cup quarterfinal match coming on Wednesday, Sporting Kansas City could be a trap opponent for Orlando. However, Lions coach Oscar Pareja stressed his club’s belief that “the most important one game is the next one,” and that the Lions aren’t looking past Sporting Kansas City.
“We should be satisfied with the performance we have done lately, of course, and the players … they came back to the mode of ‘all right, what’s next?’ And we need to be prepared,” Pareja said.
While Orlando has rocketed up the Eastern Conference standings, into fourth place, Sporting Kansas City’s four-match MLS winless drought (0-3-1) has put the team eight points under Western Conference playoff line. Sporting Kansas City (6-13-6, 24 points) attempted a season-high 22 shots last Saturday but still lost 2-0 at home to San Diego FC.
“When you start putting performances like we did in this last game together, the consistency of results follow very closely behind. … There’s 27 points (available in the regular season), and that’s more than enough to get us into the playoffs,” SKC interim head coach Kerry Zavagnin said.
Kansas City has allowed 47 goals, tied for the third-most in MLS. The back line will be further hampered Saturday as defender Logan Ndenbe is unlikely to play after sustaining a hamstring injury against San Diego.
Dejan Joveljic leads Sporting Kansas City with 13 goals, but the striker has just one goal and one shot on target during Kansas City’s four-match winless streak.
Martin Ojeda leads Orlando in both goals (14) and assists (13). Ojeda has a goal contribution in his last 11 regular-season matches, tying the third-longest streak in league history.
Lions midfielder Cesar Araujo is suspended Saturday due to card accumulation. Orlando City SC are expected to have Duncan McGuire (shoulder surgery) and Joran Gerbet (thigh injury) available after multi-month absences.
–Field Level Media
