Orlando City (13-11-7, 46 points) vs Philadelphia Union (9-12-10, 37 points)
When: Wednesday, 7:30 p.m
Where: Inter&Co Stadium, Orlando, Fla.
TV: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV
Radio: 96.9 The Game, (English), Mega 97.1 (Spanish)
Here are five storylines to watch on Saturday as the Lions face FC Dallas in Frisco:
Making History
Orlando City winger Facundo Torres made history last Saturday night in Frisco, Texas. The Uruguayan forward scored his 44th career goal across all competitions in the 55th minute against FC Dallas, tying him with former Lions’ forward Cyle Larin for most goals scored all-time for Orlando City across all competitions. Torres has scored five goals in his last five matches for the Lions and will look to take sole possession of first place on the Club’s all-time scoring leaderboard on Wednesday night against the Philadelphia Union. The winger leads Orlando City across all competitions in 2024 with 17 goals scored and has also provided nine assists.
Punching Their Playoff Ticket
For the fifth-consecutive season, Orlando City has secured a spot in the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs. A 3-1 win against FC Dallas secured the Lions’ spot in the postseason, with Philadelphia Union’s draw against Atlanta United ensuring that Orlando City would finish top seven and avoid the Wild Card matchups. Forward Ramiro Enrique scored early in the match to give Orlando momentum throughout the match. In the second half, defender Rodrigo Schlegel and forward Facundo Torres both scored in quick succession to take complete control of the match and propel the Lions to the playoffs once again. Orlando City is one of only three active MLS teams to reach the postseason in five-straight seasons.
Playoff Soccer in the City Beautiful
The Lions are the third Orlando soccer team to secure a spot in their respective league playoffs. Both the Orlando Pride and Orlando City B secured NWSL and MLS NEXT Pro playoffs berth a short while ago. The Pride have already clinched a home playoff match amid their historic NWSL run that sees them sitting atop the table with a record of 16-0-6. Orlando City B punched its playoff ticket last week with a dominating win over Chicago Fire FC II and has a chance to host a playoff game as well with a win Sunday over FC Cincinnati 2. The Orlando City First Team currently leads New York City FC by two points for fourth place in the Eastern Conference and controls its own destiny in regard to clinching home-field advantage in Round One.
Lions on the Attack
Orlando City continued its offensive explosion this past weekend after a 3-1 win in Frisco. After scoring just 17 goals in the Club’s first 17 regular season games of 2024, the Lions have found a way to get elevated production out of their attack down the stretch, scoring 36 goals in the last 14 MLS matches. Orlando City has also scored multiple goals in 12 matches across the same 14 game span. With 53 goals on the season, the Lions are just two goals shy of tying the Club’s record from 2016 and 2023 for most goals scored in a single season. Across all competitions, the Lions have produced 66 total goals.
Job’s Not Finished
The Lions may have clinched a spot in the Audi 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs, but there is still work to be done and it starts on short rest when the Club hosts the Philadelphia Union. With a home playoff match up for grabs, the Lions will need to continue their strong play against the Union. Orlando City has gone unbeaten against the Union over the last three meetings dating back to last season, including a 3-2 win at Subaru Park in May of this year. Sitting two points ahead of both New York City FC and the New York Red Bulls, the Lions hold control over their own destiny.
Milestone Tracker:
- Duncan McGuire is tied with Kaká (25) for fourth on Orlando City’s all-time scoring list and is one goal away from taking sole possession of fourth place.
- Facundo Torres (25) is one assist away from tying former Lions captain Nani (26) for second on the Club’s all-time assist chart.
- Torres also sits just one goal away from setting the all-time Club record (45) outright and breaking a tie with Cyle Larin across all competitions.
