ORLANDO, Fla. (March 10, 2017) – Following an Opening Day win to start its 2017 campaign, Orlando City SC (1-0-0, 3 points) travels to the northeast to take on the New England Revolution (0-1-0, 0 points) on Saturday, March 11. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. ET at Gillette Stadium.
The match will locally televised on WRDQ TV 27, and will be transmitted on Real Radio 104.1 FM in English and on La Nueva 990 AM in Spanish. Fans can attend the Official City Pub Watch Party at Elixir in Downtown Orlando. Specials include $3 Heinekens, halftime and postgame raffles, and the opportunity to get a commemorative Heineken Cup at the Kickin' Cruiser.
"[New England is] a team that’s been together a long time now. Their absolute best players have been together for a very long time. They have a lot of players that can hurt you at any given minute so it’s going to require another massive defensive commitment on our part,” Lions Head Coach Jason Kreis said. “We approach this game with the mindset that both teams are going to be on the same field with the same conditions and we do everything we can to win the game.”
Orlando City travels to New England after opening Orlando City Stadium with a 1-0 win Sunday against New York City FC. The Lions roared out of the gate when Giles Barnes lifted a cross to the back post to Cyle Larin, who scored the game-winner with a thunderous header in the 15th minute. The assist was Barnes’ first touch as a Lion and Larin’s header was his 32nd career MLS goal in 60 appearances.
In the back, City’s defense shut down NYCFC with a strong performances from newly acquired defender Jonathan Spector and goalkeeper Joe Bendik, who both earned MLS Team of the Week honors. City’s revamped backline also featured Uruguayan defender José Aja, and debutants Donny Toia and Will Johnson.
Saturday will mark the sixth all-time meeting between the two teams. In the last match, City bounced back with three second-half goals to defeat the Revs 3-1 in Jason Kreis’ Lions debut. Larin kicked off the comeback with a left-footed strike in the 46th minute to equalize before two clinical finishes from Kevin Molino.
New England is coming off of a 1-0 loss to the Colorado Rapids. The Rapids captured the win in the 52nd minute after Dillion Powers’ free kick led to a header from Dominique Badji. Revs newly acquired defender Antonio Delamea became the first Slovenian international to play in an MLS match. New England returns forward Kei Kamara, and USMNT players John Agudelo and Lee Nguyen.
A limited number of tickets remain for the Lions’ return to Orlando City Stadium on March 18, for a 7:30 p.m. ET kickoff against the Philadelphia Union. They will then travel to Columbus to take on Crew SC on April 1. Kickoff is set for 4 p.m. ET.
