ORLANDO, Fla. (September 9, 2016) – Following Wednesday’s dominant 4-1 win at Montreal, Orlando City SC (7-7-13, 34 points) will finish its two-game road trip when it takes on the LA Galaxy (10-4-14, 44 points) on Sunday, Sept. 11. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. ET at Stubhub Center.
The match will be nationally televised on FS1 and transmitted on Real Radio 104.1 FM in English and on La Grande 1030 AM in Spanish.
"Massive challenge against a team that hasn’t lost at home all year. They have a long stretch of playing well and being very dominant at home,” Lions Head Coach Jason Kreis said. “I don’t think there could be a bigger challenge for us right now but at this moment I think we’re more than prepared for it. Two wins in a row, and four or five good performances in a row. We look to continue that streak.”
Orlando City is coming off an impressive 4-1 win at Montreal in which the Lions matched their highest scoring output of the season. Colombian designated player Carlos Rivas scored his second goal of the season and added two assists, first to Brek Shea and later to Kaká, and drew the penalty kick that Kaká buried for his second consecutive brace.
The Lions moved into sixth place in the Eastern Conference standings with the victory, overtaking D.C. United for the final playoff spot in the East.
Sunday’s match will see the return of Orlando City leading scorers Cyle Larin and Kevin Molino, who missed the Montreal game due to international call-ups. Larin leads the Lions and is fifth in the Golden Boot race with 13 goals, while Molino is second on the team with nine goals and seven assists. Goalkeeper Joe Bendik leads MLS with 101 saves.
Kaká has been on another level since Kreis took over at the end of July. The 2007 FIFA World Player of the Year has played the best soccer of his MLS career, scoring five goals and three assists in seven games under Kreis. Kaká has consecutive braces and has put together three multi-point games during that stretch.
The Galaxy will also play on four days’ rest after Wednesday’s 3-3 draw at Real Salt Lake. Giovani dos Santos scored twice for LA and added an assist but a goal by Real Salt Lake’s Juan Manuel Martínez in stoppage time left both teams with a point.
LA has yet to lose on its home field this season, boasting a 7-0-7 record at Stubhub Center. Dos Santos leads the Galaxy with 12 goals this season and English midfielder Steven Gerrard is tied for third in MLS with 11 assists. Goalkeeper Brian Rowe’s 99 saves are tied for second in MLS.
This is the only match between the two clubs this season. In their first meeting in May 2015, Orlando City blasted the then-defending MLS Cup champion Galaxy 4-0. Eric Avila’s header capped off a beautiful passing sequence for an early 1-0 lead and Darwin Cerén’s long-range blast put the finishing touch on the Club’s first home win in MLS.
The Lions return to Camping World Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 17, when they host Columbus Crew SC for a 7:30 p.m. ET. kickoff before heading out on a crucial two-game road trip.
