ORLANDO, Fla. (April 7, 2016) – Orlando City (2-0-2, 8 points) travels north for its fifth challenge of the season to face Eastern Conference opponent Philadelphia Union (2-2-0, 6 points) on Friday, April 8, at Talen Energy Stadium.
City fans can tune in at 7 p.m. to UniMás live, with an English broadcast version available via the SAP function, and on Real Radio 104.1 FM in English. It will transmit in Spanish on La Grande 1030 AM locally.
“They are much improved from this time last year, they had a complete revamp of the club. I got a lot of time for the coach, Jim Curtin, and I know that he thinks this is the best squad they have had and certainly the most progressive the Club has been in a long time,” said Head Coach Adrian Heath. “I think it’s going to be about attitude. We proved on Sunday that we can come and play against anybody in the league - now can we do it again. We are going to be under pressure for large of periods of the game, but can we cope with it and can we go and play our football when we can.”
The match marks the first of three fixtures between the two clubs in the 2016 regularly-scheduled season. City welcomes the Union to the Orlando Citrus Bowl on May 25 before traveling back to Talen Energy Stadium on October 16 for the third and final encounter of the 2016 MLS regular season.
After defeating the reigning MLS Cup champions in a dominant 4-1 victory—an accomplishment the Lions achieved last season when they scored four goals against the LA Galaxy at home on May 17—City heads to Philadelphia on top of the Eastern Conference standings aiming to build on its momentum early in the season.
Orlando City, the only undefeated club in the Eastern Conference and one of two remaining in the league, enters the match looking to earn its first victory against the Union in its MLS era. Last season, the Lions drew Philadelphia 0-0 at home on August 8 and fell 1-0 on the road in the last game of the season on October 25.
Lions’ captain Kaká aims to repeat his performance against the Timbers, when the Brazilian earned MLS Player of the Week honors for scoring a goal and notching two assists. Also, midfielder Kevin Molino opened his MLS scoring account last game, finding the net from the penalty spot, and Cristian Higuita had another outstanding performance, earning his second consecutive MLS Team of the Week recognition.
The Union hosts placed third in the Eastern Conference, after registering two wins and two defeats on their first four fixtures. Most recently, Philadelphia fell 1-0 against the Chicago Fire on the road on April 2 and defeated the New England Revolution 3-0 on March 20, in their only home game thus far this season. Forward C.J. Sapong and left-winger Chris Pontius lead the team in goals with a brace a piece.
The Lions return to the Orlando Citrus Bowl on April 17 to face the New England Revolution. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. Tickets to all City home matches are available at OrlandoCitySC.com or by calling 855-ORL-CITY.
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About Orlando City Soccer Club:
With three major professional teams, Orlando City Soccer Club (OCSC) has established itself as one of the preeminent Clubs in professional soccer.
One of the leading teams in Major League Soccer (MLS), and the most-searched MLS team in 2015 according to Google, the Lions have developed a rich history and passionate following since starting in the USL in 2011. In their inaugural MLS season, Orlando City set a league attendance record for an expansion team, drawing an average of 32,847 fans per home game – including 62,500 in the home opener – and became the fastest team in MLS history to host a half million fans. Orlando City has not only captured the passion of soccer fans in the City Beautiful, it continues to build its global brand as its matches are broadcast in 120 countries and in 30 languages.
The Orlando Pride, OCSC’s National Women’s Soccer League franchise, will begin league play in 2016 – bringing professional women’s soccer to Orlando for the first time. The team is led by renowned Head Coach Tom Sermanni, former manager for the Australian and U.S. women’s national teams.
Orlando City B (OCB) participates in the USL beginning in the 2016 season. The team plays its home matches at Titan Soccer Complex on the campus of Eastern Florida State College in Melbourne, Fla. OCB continues the Club’s rich history in the rapidly growing league. From 2011 to 2014, Orlando City set the U.S. record for best start of any professional soccer club in its first 100 USL matches (66-12-22), winning three regular season titles and two postseason championships.
OCSC also has a youth club, Orlando City Youth Soccer (OCYS). Lastly, the Orlando City Foundation is active in the community year round, promoting health and wellness in children throughout the region, raising funds and volunteering time for various local organizations.
For more information, visit www.OrlandoCitySC.com, www.Orlando-Pride.com, www.OrlandoCityB.com, www.OrlandoCityYouth.org andwww.OrlandoCitySC.com/
