ORLANDO, Fla. (Sept. 22, 2020) - Orlando City SC (6-2-4, 22 points) is set to play its first match of a two-game road trip when it travels to face Sporting Kansas City (6-4-2, 20 points) on Wednesday, Sept. 23 at Children’s Mercy Park. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET.
The match will be nationally broadcast on FS1, while being transmitted on Real Radio 104.1 in English and Acción 97.9FM, 810AM in Spanish.
“Kansas City is a dominant team who during the years have established a model of the game that has an identity with Peter [Vermes] in a 4-3-3. Always being aggressive and trying to press and all those things, so we know their ways to do things,” Head Coach Oscar Pareja said. “For us, as always, we’ll try to be protagonists as well as we have always said. We want to compete and try to get the three points against one of the best teams in the West.”
With a result on Wednesday, City would break a Club-record with its seventh-consecutive match unbeaten, passing the previous mark of six set in the beginning of the 2018 season.
The Lions come into the fixture after scoring a season-high four goals in a 4-1 win over Chicago Fire FC this past Saturday. Chris Mueller, Nani, Júnior Urso and Benji Michel each found the back of the net for City, scoring twice on both sides of the break to tie a Club-record at six matches unbeaten.
Mueller leads the Lions with seven goals and five assists this season, tied for the highest mark in goal contributions in Major League Soccer. Nani follows with four goals of his own, while Mauricio Pereyra sits at second in assists with four.
Sporting Kansas City enters the week looking to bounce back from a 3-2 loss at home to FC Dallas on Saturday. The home side looked to be on their way to splitting the points with The Toros after answering a Franco Bara brace with one from Johnny Russell, only for Ryan Hollingshead to net the game-winner in the 86th minute to give the visitors all three points from the match.
Russell leads Sporting Kansas City with five goals this season, followed by Gadi Kinda and Khiry Shelton at four apiece. Alan Pulido leads the side with four assists.
Following Wednesday’s match, the Lions will continue on the road as they travel to face Pareja’s former club, slated for a visit to FC Dallas on Sunday, Sept. 27.
