Orlando City (12-6-8, 44 points) at FC Cincinnati (17-3-6, 57 points)
When: Saturday, 7:30 PM
Where: TQL Stadium, Cincinnati, OH
Radio: 96.9 The Game (English), Acción 97.9 FM (Spanish)
The Equalizer
Midfielder Martín Ojeda netted his fifth goal across all competitions during the Lions’ mid-week match against Charlotte FC. The goal came in the 88th minute after the Lions were awarded a free kick and Ojeda stepped up to the ball for the Lions. With the equalizing goal, Ojeda maintained the Lions’ strong form on the road.
Simply the Best
After Wednesday’s draw against Charlotte FC and Real Salt Lake’s loss against the Portland Timbers, the Lions stand as Major League Soccer’s best road team in 2023. City now leads the league with a 6-3-4 record and 22 points away from home. Saturday’s match serves an opportunity for the Lions to extend their road form while also extending their regular-season undefeated streak to five matches.
League-Leading Showdown
Orlando City will face league leaders FC Cincinnati for the second time this year. The two clubs most recently met in early March in The City Beautiful, with the sides playing to a scoreless draw. Across the matchup’s history, the Lions have recorded the most wins coming in at three victories and three draws across eight matches. The Orange and Blue are the only team so far to have clinched a spot in the Audi 2023 MLS Cup Playoffs, while the Lions currently rank third in the conference sitting 14 points above the playoff line.
El Capitán
Midfielder Mauricio Pereyra made his 125th appearance across all competitions for the Lions, earning the start in 112 matches of those matches to date. Pereyra holds the Club record for most assists all-time, providing 47 helpers across his time as a Lion, along with netting seven goals.
150
Defender Robin Jansson is one appearance away from his 150th across all competitions, making him the first player in Club history to reach the 150 mark. Jansson currently holds the record for the most minutes played on the pitch by a field player with 14,100 minutes and is currently tied with former City player and current Orlando Pride Head Coach Seb Hines as the only defender with five goals.
Milestone Tracker
- Pedro Gallese’s next clean sheet will be his 30th in all competitions for Orlando City.
- Facundo Torres’ next goal will tie Dom Dwyer for fourth on the all-time scoring list.
- Defender Robin Jansson is one appearance away from 150 all-time appearances across all competitions.
