Orlando City (7-5-7, 28 points) vs Chicago Fire (5-6-8, 23 points)
When: Saturday, 7:30 p.m.
Where: Exploria Stadium, Orlando, Fla.
Radio: 96.9 The Game (English), Acción 97.9 FM (Spanish)
Everything you need to know for Orlando City vs Chicago Fire in "The Road Ahead" driven by Audi:
Milestone watch
-- Facundo Torres’ next appearance will be his 60th in all competitions for Orlando City. His next goal will tie him with Tesho Akindele and Daryl Dike for seventh all-time in Orlando City history.
-- Kyle Smith’s next appearance for Orlando City, his 127th, will see him pass Chris Mueller for second all-time in club history, behind Robin Jansson.
-- Pedro Gallese has recorded three consecutive clean sheets in MLS play, equalling the longest run of his Orlando City career. Gallese also had three straight shutouts to start the 2023 season against RBNY, Cincinnati, and Tigres. A clean sheet against Chicago would set a new personal best for El Pulpo in an Orlando shirt.
Stats and storylines
-- Orlando City has gone five consecutive home games without a loss, its longest such run since summer 2021, when the Lions went six straight unbeaten at Exploria Stadium. City will be looking for more value for their performance on Saturday – three of the five games ended in draws after Orlando conceded equalizers in the 86th minute or later.
-- This is the fourth time in six seasons that Orlando City will host a game on the weekend surrounding July 4th.
-- Orlando City did not have a player selected to the 2023 MLS All-Star Game, the second year in a row without a Lion on the roster. Orlando had at least one player picked for the game every season from 2015-21 (except for 2020, when the game was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic).
SERIES HISTORY
All-time vs. Chicago - 5-6-6, -9 GD (3-2-3, +1 GD home)
MLS only vs. Chicago - 5-5-6, -7 GD (3-2-3, +1 GD home)
- 2015 - W 2-3 (A), L 3-1 (A/USOC), D 1-1 (H), W 0-1 (A)
- 2016 - D 1-1 (H), D 2-2 (A)
- 2017 - D 0-0 (H), L 4-0 (A)
- 2018 - L 1-2 (H), L 4-0 (A)
- 2019 - D 1-1 (A), L 2-5 (H)
- 2020 - W 4-1 (H)
- 2021 - L 3-1 (A), W 1-0 (H)
- 2022 - D 0-0 (A), W 1-0 (H)
Meet the opponent: Chicago Fire
-- Orlando City has had a strong run of success against Chicago under Oscar Pareja, going 3-1-1 against the Fire since Papi’s arrival in 2020. After going 0-2-3 at home against Chicago prior to Pareja’s tenure, the Lions have won every home game they’ve played against the Fire with Pareja as head coach.
-- Fire striker Kei Kamara, selected to the 2023 MLS All-Star Game this week by Commissioner Don Garber, has nine goals against the Lions in 11 appearances. His next goal will not only tie Ignacio Piatti for the most ever against the Lions, but it will equal Landon Donovan for second on the all-time MLS scoring charts at 145 goals.
-- Chicago also employs Kacper Przybylko, who has six goals against Orlando City in seven starts. No other Fire player besides Kamara and Przybylko has ever scored against Orlando.
-- Orlando City has not allowed a goal to Chicago since July 7, 2021, posting a 270-minute shutout streak in that time. Mason Stajduhar picked up the clean sheet in 2021, while Pedro Gallese nabbed both in 2022.
