1 - 12 For 12
Orlando City returns home after earning its first road victory of the season. The Lions have a 4-0-0 record at Orlando City Stadium and a five-game home winning streak since their last match at Camping World Stadium in 2016. Cyle Larin has accounted for four goals at the new downtown stadium, including his winner in stoppage time against the LA Galaxy on April 15. Goalkeeper Joe Bendik has allowed only three goals inside the new fortress. The Lions host Colorado on Saturday riding a three-game winning streak, while Colorado is riding a three-game losing streak.
2 - Fast Starts & Mile Marks
The Lions are off to the best start in the Club’s MLS era and the best start of any team in the league since 2012, when RSL and Sporting KC started out with 15 and 18 points, respectively, through six games. That RSL team was coached by current Lions coach Jason Kreis. Orlando City picked up its 100th MLS point and reached .500 all-time (26-26-22) with its win against NYC. Will Johnson and Servando Carrasco are also on the verge of milestones. Against the Rapids, Johnson could make his 200th regular-season start and Carrasco could make his 50th appearance for Orlando City. The midfielders are the only Lions not named Cyle Larin to score this season and Johnson has two assists to boot.
3 - Striker Stats
Cyle Larin continues his dominance in MLS with six goals to start the season, which is second-most in the league. With only 15 shots on the season, Larin has scored 40% of his total shots and 60% of his shots on goal. The 2015 Rookie of the Year scored 35 goals before his 22nd birthday, the most in MLS history, and his 37 goals since the start of 2015 are tied for fourth-best in that time period. (As of 4/26)
4 - Cyle The Closer
Cyle Larin has scored four game-winning goals this season, two more than anyone else. Against NYCFC, the Canadian international bagged the game-winning goal in the 51st minute when he outmuscled Rodney Wallace inside the box and fired home a powerful header. In the first-ever meeting between Colorado and City, Larin scored the game-winning goal in the 62nd minute after Carlos Rivas sent in a whipping cross for Larin to bury.
5 - A Better Bendik?
After posting the second-highest save total in MLS (114) in 2016, Joe Bendik is somehow surpassing last year’s performance. At 0.83, Bendik is one of just four goalkeepers in MLS with a goals-allowed-average lower than 1. He also has the best record of any of the other three goalkeepers and has two clean sheets to go with it. Bendik has played every league minute in goal for the Lions since the beginning of 2016.
6 - Lions of the Week
Four different players and head coach Jason Kreis were included in this week’s MLS Team of the Week. Goalkeeper Joe Bendik and Cyle Larin made their return to MLS Team of the Week, Bendik for his crucial stoppage-time save on a David Villa strike from close range and Larin for his second brace and fourth game-winner of the season. Donny Toia made MLS Team of the Week for the first time ever after his game-winning assist and captain Will Johnson made the bench.
7 - Dam the Rapids
The Lions have claimed four points in two meetings against Colorado and have yet to allow a goal against the Rapids. On June 24, 2015, the Lions picked up a 2-0 win. Cyle Larin and Kaká scored on assists from Colombians Carlos Rivas and Cristian Higuita. Then on Aug. 20, 2016, the Lions became just the fourth team to earn a point in Colorado that season. Center back José Aja made his first career MLS start in that match and it was the Lions’ first clean sheet under Jason Kreis.
8 - Fantastic Full Backs
Scott Sutter has two assists in four MLS appearances - three of them full 90-minute starts - and has assists in consecutive games. Sutter had the set-up on Cyle Larin’s first goal in NYC after assisting Larin’s game-winner against LA. Donny Toia picked up his first assist as a Lion on the game-winning goal Sunday against NYCFC. Toia’s excellent all-around play earned him MLS Team of the Week honors.
