MLS Match 4: Orlando City (1-0-2) vs. Charlotte FC (0-3-0)
When: Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET
Where: Exploria Stadium, Orlando
TV: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV (subscription required)
Radio: 96.9 The Game (English), Acción 97.9 FM (Spanish)
Tickets: View seats
As Orlando City resumes MLS play on Saturday against Charlotte FC, here are five storylines to follow entering match day:
Facing the Crown
The Lions faced off against Charlotte FC twice in the 2022 expansion’s side inaugural season, taking a 2-1 victory on both occasions.
The first meeting between the two sides came in April of last year, with Facundo Torres scoring the decider for the Lions at Exploria Stadium.
Nearly four months later, City traveled to Bank of America Stadium for the first time, where former Lions forward Tesho Akindele scored the game-winner in the 89th minute to send Orlando home with all three points.
The Home Stretch
Saturday will serve as the final of a five-game stretch for the Lions in the span of 15 days between Concacaf Champions League and MLS regular season play.
Within that stretch, City has traveled on two occasions, first to Monterrey for the first leg of the Round of 16 in SCCL action against Tigres UANL before heading to the nation’s capital to take on D.C. United in league play.
Denying the Opposition
The Lions have yet to concede at home in MLS action this campaign, taking a 1-0 shutout victory in their season opener against the New York Red Bulls before battling to a scoreless stalemate with FC Cincinnati a week later.
Goalkeeper Pedro Gallese has stood in net for each of those clean sheets, sitting with 24 in all competitions for the Lions.
The Impressive El Pulpo
Gallese added to his impressive start to the season with another stalwart effort in net on Wednesday night as the Lions bowed out of the Concacaf Champions League.
Through both legs of the Round of 16, Gallese recorded 15 stops, conceding just once to tame one of the most potent offenses in the continent.
Getting off the Mark
Orlando City forward Ercan Kara opened up his 2023 account on Wednesday night, scoring in the 90th minute of City’s Champions League match against Tigres UANL.
Kara tallied 12 goals and three assists across all competitions in 2022, after arriving in the City Beautiful in January of last year.
