With the end of regular season play quickly approaching, the last Eastern Conference playoff moves closer to the Lions’ grasp. While Orlando City maintain their focus on winning their last two matches—NYC at home, Oct. 16, and Philadelphia away, Oct. 25—they still need some things to go their way elsewhere. The full breakdown of the playoff chase for Orlando City can be found here.
The Lions are neck and neck with Montréal after Orlando’s 2-1 victory at the Orlando Citrus Bowl last week. With Montréal’s condensed schedule due to games in hand, their players have been put to the test with a grueling travel and match itinerary.
While Orlando City are in the middle of a bye-week, fans had a lot to celebrate as the Impact lost 2-1 at Red Bull Arena Wednesday night, placing added pressure on the Canadian squad. Montréal are on the road again this weekend in Colorado.
A few key factors that Orlando City have in their favor when looking at the Impact’s next game include the suspension of Ambroise Oyongo following his red card in Harrison, and the fact that their star striker Didier Drogba played the whole 90 minutes against the Red Bulls, which will call his availability for this weekend’s match into question.
The Lions will welcome New York City FC to the Orlando Citrus Bowl in a crucial match-up on Oct. 16, and it is not a game to miss. Coach Adrian Heath stated, “There will be a special atmosphere in this stadium for the New York game.” Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. and with the amount of support Orlando has received this season, the Citrus Bowl is expected to be electric as the Lions take the field. Tickets are still available here.
