0.16 – Real Salt Lake xG
Orlando City held Real Salt Lake to 0.16 expected goals in the season opener on Saturday, according to Opta. Expected goals are an approximation of how many goals a side would be expected to score based on the quality of the shots they took. RSL attempted only five shots, with just one coming inside the penalty area. RSL’s total was the lowest in Major League Soccer during opening weekend.
101 – Midfield madman
Orlando central midfielder Sebas Méndez played like a man possessed on Saturday night, racking up 101 touches throughout the game. Méndez completed 90.3% of his passes from those touches, gained possession a game-high 15 times, and led the Lions with six tackles. Méndez was awarded Heineken Star of the Match honors by the fans for his performance.
0 – Colorado wins over Orlando
The Colorado Rapids, City’s opponents this weekend, are the only team in MLS that existed before 2019 who have not beaten Orlando (Cincinnati went winless against the Lions last year, while Orlando have yet to face Nashville or Miami). Orlando are 4-0-1 against Colorado all-time, coming out on top of a rain-soaked 4-3 thriller last April at Exploria Stadium. In Commerce City, the Lions have fought the Rapids to a 0-0 draw (in 2016) and taken a 2-1 victory (in 2018).
9 – Kamara coming
Colorado striker Kei Kamara has a penchant for scoring against Orlando City. The Sierra Leone international has scored nine times in eight games against the Lions, the second-highest total of any player in MLS history (behind former Montreal winger Ignacio Piatti, who has 10). Kamara is also the only player to score against Orlando for four different teams, netting on the Lions for Columbus, New England, Vancouver, and Colorado. Kamara’s 127 career MLS goals place him fifth on the all-time list.
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