Orlando City (12-11-7, 43 points) at FC Dallas (10-13-7, 37 points)
When: Saturday, 8:30 p.m
Where: Toyota Stadium, Frisco, TX
TV: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV
Radio: Real Radio 104.1, (English), Mega 97.1 (Spanish)
Here are five storylines to watch on Saturday as the Lions face FC Dallas in Frisco:
Chasing History
Uruguayan winger Facundo Torres has a chance to make Orlando City history in Columbus this weekend. With four goals in his last four appearances for the Lions, Torres moved within one goal of tying former Lions forward Cyle Larin for most goals scored for Orlando City across all competitions. The Las Piedras, Uruguay native has scored 43 goals to date across all competitions and Larin set the Club record at 44, with the next closest to the pair in Lions’ history being former captain Nani with 31 tallied all-time. Torres currently leads Orlando City across all competitions in the 2024 campaign with 16 goals scored and has provided an additional nine assists.
Marks from Muriel
Orlando City SC forward and Designated Player Luis Muriel has started to turn his attacking production up in recent weeks. The Colombian striker scored twice in the Lions’ comeback-effort against the Columbus Crew this past weekend after entering the match as a second-half substitute and also added the assist on fellow forward Duncan McGuire’s goal against Charlotte FC to help push Orlando City to a 3-0 win in the Lions’ midweek matchup. Muriel also set up the play that led to Orlando’s opening goal at Lower.com Field. In total, Muriel has scored five times for the Lions across all competitions and has added six helpers.
Lions on the Attack
Orlando City has continued its offensive tear of late, scoring a total of five goals across its last two matches this past week. Recently, the Lions have scored multiple goals in 11 of their past 13 MLS regular season matches and currently with 50 goals scored this regular season with four matches left to play, Orlando City is within striking distance of its single-season Club record of 55, set in 2016 and matched in 2023. Across all competitions in 2024, the Lions attack has produced 63 total goals.
Papi Returns
Orlando City SC Head Coach Oscar Pareja will make his second trip back to Frisco, Texas since taking over as the Lions’ manager ahead of the 2020 MLS regular season, returning to face off with the MLS team he managed prior to Orlando City. Pareja played parts of eight seasons for Dallas from 1998-2005, then began his coaching career in their youth academy shortly after retirement. After two years as head coach of the Colorado Rapids, Pareja returned to Dallas to take the top job in 2014, winning a Supporters’ Shield and a Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup while winning 97 matches in all competitions over five seasons.
Locking In
The Lions have yet another chance to secure their place in the Audi 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs this weekend with several scenarios and one specific one that could see Orlando City lock up a top-seven spot in the Eastern Conference. Simply put, it’s win and in for the Lions this weekend. Past that Orlando City could secure its place with a draw or even a loss and several different combinations of results from around the league. The Lions could also lock up their spot in the playoffs as well as a top seven spot, ensuring their placement into the Round One best-of-three series with a win at FC Dallas and a Philadelphia Union draw or loss against Atlanta United FC.
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 the all-time Club record set by Cyle Larin (44) across all competitions.
