ORLANDO, Fla. (March 6, 2020) - Orlando City heads out west for its first road trip of the year, traveling to face the Colorado Rapids on Saturday, March 7. Kickoff is scheduled for 9 p.m. ET at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, with the match serving as the Rapids’ 2020 home opener.
The match will be televised on Fox 35 Plus, while being transmitted on 96.9 The Game in English and Acción 97.9FM, 810AM in Spanish.
“Colorado is a team who has given continuity to their system and game model that they finished with last year. They’re a team that is well organized with the model of the formation. What we see is a lot of continuity in the game that develops in the middle,” said Head Coach Oscar Pareja. “I think like any other team, we’re going to compete and get the guys ready.”
Saturday’s match will see Pareja return to the site of his first role as a head coach in MLS, having served at the helm for the Rapids from 2012-13 before departing for FC Dallas. In just his second season as a head coach, Pareja led the Rapids to the 2013 playoffs.
The Lions enter Saturday’s match following a scoreless draw against Real Salt Lake to open their 2020 campaign. Goalkeeper Pedro Gallese earned the shutout on the night in both his Club and MLS debut, while teammates Antonio Carlos, Júnior Urso and Andrés Perea each earned their first appearances as Lions.
Throughout Club history, the Lions hold a 4-0-1 record over Colorado through five previous contests. In 2019, City battled back from two separate deficits to earn a 4-3 victory over the visiting Rapids, scoring twice in the last 10 minutes of play to take all three points on the night. Nani scored a brace in the match, his first goals as a Lion, while Tesho Akindele and Chris Mueller each found the back of the net once. Nani will miss Saturday’s match due to league suspension.
The Rapids began their season with a 2-1 win on the road at D.C. United. The home side struck first with Russell Canouse opening the scoring in the 60th minute, but the visitors answered seven minutes later with Kei Kamara finding the back of the net in the 67th. The match remained level until second-half stoppage time, with Jonathan Lewis scoring the game-winner in the 92nd minute to earn a late victory for the Rapids.
Following Saturday’s match, the Lions will return to Orlando to face their first Eastern Conference opponent of the 2020 season, hosting the Chicago Fire on Saturday, March 14 at Exploria Stadium. Kickoff for that match is slated for 7:30 p.m. ET, with tickets available to purchase here.
