Orlando City SC will welcome the New England Revolution to town Saturday night in a showdown of Eastern Conference teams looking to reverse their current misfortunes.
Both teams are on extended winless streaks and could use good performances to turn things around.
Orlando City (8-9-6, 30 points) lost to last-place D.C. United 2-1 on Sunday, extending their winless streak to four games. They have now lost two games in a row. Junior Urso gave them the lead in the ninth minute, but D.C. United both tied the game and scored the game-winner during second-half stoppage time.
The Lions, who are 5-6-0 at home, recognize the need to turn the tide after a disappointing result and run of form.
“It is another important week and another important match with it being tight in the standings,” Orlando City coach Oscar Pareja said. “Surely, we have to recognize the importance of the moment to catch up with points. … We still enter with motivation to get three points and be urgent.”
Orlando City have added multiple players to their roster for the playoff push ahead of the MLS transfer deadline. In July they added forward Nicholas Gioacchini, member of the 2021 Gold Cup-winning U.S. men’s national team late in July. Then, this week, they added midfielder Wilder Cartagena, who has spent time with Orlando goalkeeper Pedro Gallese on Peru’s national team.
New England (6-7-9, 27 points) is on a six-game winless streak after drawing Toronto FC 0-0 last Saturday. The Revolution have failed to score in back-to-back games, and the six-game streak is the longest under head coach Bruce Arena.
Goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic was key in preserving the late draw against Toronto with a penalty save in the last minutes of the game.
“Happy he’s playing well,” defender Brandon Bye said. “Obviously, the PK save was unbelievable.”
New England was also active at the transfer deadline, bringing in reinforcements in the form of defender Christian Makoun from Charlotte FC, attacking midfielder Ismael Tajouri-Shradi from Los Angeles FC and goalkeeper Clement Diop from Inter Miami.
The acquisition of Makoun is intended to help New England’s defense, which has given up the sixth-most goals in the Eastern Conference (34) despite two straight clean sheets by Petrovic.
The Revolution (2-5-4 on the road) also traded away midfielder Sebastian Lletget to FC Dallas after they had acquired him this past offseason in a trade with the LA Galaxy.
–Field Level Media
