Last Go Around
The last time the Lions faced off against Wednesday’s opposition came on Sept. 4 at Exploria Stadium, a match that saw the home side take a 3-2 victory on the night. Daryl Dike, Silvester van der Water and Júnior Urso all found the back of the net in that contest, with Urso’s finish serving as the eventual game-winner for the Lions. That match also saw Head Coach Oscar Pareja become the Club’s all-time leader in wins at the helm in what served as his 23rd victory for Orlando City.
Let’s Make it Six
City is currently riding a five-game win streak against Wednesday’s opposition, dating back to the 2018 MLS campaign. Four of those victories have come in The City Beautiful, with the midweek serving as the Club’s first visit to Columbus since June 29, 2019. That match resulted in a 2-0 shutout victory for the side, with Chris Mueller and Tesho Akindele scoring on the night.
History for the Captain
With his 10th goal of the season on Sunday night against the Revolution, Lions’ captain Luis Nani became the second player in Club history to record multiple double digit scoring seasons throughout his tenure, the first of which being former City forward Cyle Larin. The Portuguese international has totaled 31 goals for the Club in all competitions, matching his second-highest total he’s scored with any franchise, doing the same with Sporting CP. His highest mark at an individual club came at Manchester United, where he found the back of the net 41 times.
Continuing the Form
Lions forward Daryl Dike continued his impressive form as of late on Sunday night, scoring for the seventh time this season. The 2020 MLS SuperDraft selection has recorded a goal contribution in five of the side’s last six contests, with four goals and an assist in that stretch. Dike trails only Nani on the side in finishes this season, now with 15 in total in his MLS career.
On the Board
A pair of Lions each recorded their first assists of the season on the same finish Sunday night against the Revolution, with João Moutinho and Júnior Urso each tallying a helper on Nani’s 39th-minute goal. The assist served as Moutinho’s sixth as a Lion, while Urso tallied his fourth on the finish in his MLS career.
The Viking
- With a start on Wednesday night and action through 73 minutes of play, defender Robin Jansson will set a new franchise record for minutes played by a field player in all competitions. The Viking currently sits second in Club-history at 7,620, behind only former Lions midfielder Cristian Higuita at 7,692. Former Orlando City goalkeeper Joe Bendik holds the overall record at 8,248, a mark he reached in three seasons in purple.
- Milestone Tracker
- Daryl Dike is one goal away from matching his total from his rookie campaign (8) in MLS regular-season play.
- Mauricio Pereyra’s next assist will be his 11th for the year, setting a new club record for assists in a single season.
- Tesho Akindele is two goals away from 20 in his Orlando City career.
