+9 – Lions on a roll
Orlando City are in their best form in over a year, winning four of their past five games in all competitions. All but one of their four wins has come by multiple goals, and the Lions have outscored their opponents 13-4 in that five-game stretch, good for a +9 goal differential.
4 – Tesho tallies
Orlando City head coach James O’Connor called Tesho Akindele the most underrated player in MLS earlier this year, and the forward has backed up his manager’s claim. Akindele has six goals in all competitions for Orlando this season, including four goals in his last five games. Akindele has already surpassed his goal totals for each of the past two seasons and is two goals away from tying his career high of 7 MLS tallies, set back in his rookie season of 2014.
10 – O’Connor Open Cup wins
James O’Connor has been one of the most successful managers in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup over the past half-decade. The gaffer’s two wins in 2019, over Memphis and New England, bring him to 10-4 all-time in the competitions. O’Connor was 8-3 in U.S. Open Cup games as the manager of Louisville City before coming to Orlando last June.
25 – Nani and Rooney contributions
Former Manchester United teammates Nani and Wayne Rooney will meet for the second time this season on Wednesday night as Orlando City visit DC United. Nani (8 G/4 A) and Rooney (8 G/5 A) have combined for 25 goal contributions this season. Rooney has the edge with 13 to Nani’s 12, but has done so in 376 more minutes, leaving Nani with a superior goals and assists per 90-minute number (1.10 to 0.86). Both Nani and Rooney were voted into the Fan XI for the MLS All-Star Game presented by Target, taking place July 31 at Exploria Stadium.
-0.8 – Audi Field fortress falling
DC United rose from the bottom of the table to fourth in the East on the strength of Audi Field last season. The Black and Red had 15 of their final 20 games at their new stadium last season, going 12-2-1 in those contests for 2.47 points per game. This season, the new digs have not been so kind to DC United, as the home side have dropped points in five of their nine games in Washington in 2019. Their 1.67 PPG mark represents a drop of 0.8 points from last year’s number.
1.5 - FAIRWINDS Credit Union
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