Before a crowd of 30,000 fans clad in the purple and gold of their city, Orlando City SC (2-3-5, 11 points) will look to their offense to power the second-year squad.
Orlando City’s offense has been one of the best, posting the highest goals per game average in the Eastern Conference and scoring a goal in every single match so far, the only team in the East to do so.
Saturday’s 2-1 loss to Sporting Kansas City was a bit of a letdown offensively, but Orlando City is confident their offensive firepower will return to normal. City welcomes the Montréal Impact (4-3-4, 16 points) on Saturday, and the quick turnaround forces the team to focus on the game in front of them, instead of the slipups in the past. Luke Boden pointed out that “[the game are] coming thick and quick. We have Montréal to look forward to, so we’ve got no time to sit and sulk.”
The two squads are rather evenly matched, with Montréal having only a one-goal advantage on the season, 18-17. Orlando, however, has been far more efficient with their shots, needing fewer shots to score roughly the same number of goals.
Another factor that will help reignite the offense, with four of the next five games at home: Orlando City has yet to lose a match in Camping World Stadium – formerly known as the Citrus Bowl. The Lions aim to combine their offensive resurgence with their home-pitch advantage to concoct a winning formula that will prove daunting for any team coming into town.
“We’ve got to get back on the training field and prepare for Montréal,” Boden said, adding that the team’s goal is simple: “We go out to win.” And on Saturday night, Orlando City will leave it all out on the pitch to make that happen.
