45 - Pereyra and the Bear
Mauricio Pereyra and Júnior Urso have remade the Orlando City midfield since coming into the team in 2019 and 2020, respectively. If they appear on Wednesday, they’ll both be celebrating their 45th appearances for Orlando in all competitions. Pereyra has 19 assists through 44 games in purple, ranking fourth in club history, while Urso has been a constant force in central midfield and leads the team by a wide margin in fouls drawn.
0 - Home is where the heart is
Due to scheduling conflicts with the NFL’s Tennessee Titans, with whom they currently share Nissan Stadium, Nashville SC have already played most of their home schedule. Wednesday’s match between Nashville and Orlando will be the 13th of Nashville’s 17 home contests in 2021. Nashville has risen to second place in the East on the back of this scheduling quirk, posting a 7-0-5 record at Nissan Stadium this season. Ironically, Nashville ruined Orlando City’s bid for an undefeated home regular season on Decision Day 2020, so perhaps the Lions could return the favor on Wednesday night.
8 - The Willis Wall
Nashville goalkeeper Joe Willis was one of the surprise stars of their run to the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs last year, and the veteran has been even better in 2021. Willis’ eight clean sheets are tied with Colorado’s William Yarbrough for top marks in the league.
1.67 - Lion-esque pace
Chicago Fire FC, Orlando’s next opponent on Saturday, Aug. 21 at Exploria Stadium, got off to a brutal start in 2021, going 1-7-2 in their first ten matches through the end of June. The Fire have turned it around, though, with a 4-2-3 record since the beginning of July, including a win over the Lions at Soldier Field on July 7. That’s a 1.67 point per game pace, the exact same figure Orlando holds for the full season. The Fire are away to Inter Miami on Wednesday night before facing Orlando on Saturday.
1.5 - FAIRWINDS Credit Union
Score up to 1.5% cash back and LionNation points when you use your FAIRWINDS Orlando City Visa® or Orlando Pride Visa® on game day purchases and everyday essentials. Apply today and get purple carded.
