On June 4th against Chicago, Orlando City proved that they can be one of the strongest defensive teams in the League.
Two men down, facing the hottest offensive team in MLS, the Lions fought for a 0-0 draw at home with 25,000 of the Orlando City’s most passionate fans chanting for 90 minutes.
On that night, the fans deserved immense credit for getting their Club over the finish line with a point.
Orlando City will not have their beloved fans to lean on this Saturday night at Toyota Park against a Chicago team still firing on all cylinders.
Fire striker Nemanja Nikolic still leads MLS with 13 goals on the season. His forward partner, David Accam, is also a force to be reckoned with because of his blistering pace and eye for goal. German legend Bastian Schweinsteiger holds down the midfield with Dax McCarty - who was on USMNT duty when Chicago made the trip to Orlando City Stadium earlier this month.
The Fire possess a strong midfield; a quality of their team that Lions Head Coach Jason Kreis duly noted prior to the teams’ last meeting. Combine that with the dynamic speed of Accam out wide - and Nikolic up top - nobody should be surprised the goals have been flowing in 2017 for the Fire.
The exception: June 4th against Orlando City. Goals most definitely were not flowing on that drizzly evening. The Lions put forth maximum effort and unparalleled defensive commitment which was enough to cool Nikolic, Schweinsteiger and the red hot Chicago Fire.
Amidst unfavorable circumstances Orlando City earned a draw that the team felt extremely proud of - and rightly so. The point that night felt like a win.
Orlando City (7-5-5, 26 points) sit in fourth place behind Chicago (9-4-3, 31 points) in the MLS Eastern Conference standings. A road win against the Fire would be massive for Orlando City to climb up the standings and solidify their current playoff position.
