STATS PREVIEW: New England Revolution vs Orlando City SC – 02.09.2017

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It’s downright depressing being an Orlando City SC supporter right now with the Lions winless in their last SEVEN MLS fixtures.

Part of a run of just TWO wins in our last NINETEEN regular season encounters, Jason Kreis‘ side sat just THREE points off the bottom of the Eastern Conference following Gameweek 25.

Suffering a crushing defeat in a must-win game against Vancouver Whitecaps (1-2) last time out, our hopes of reaching the 2017 MLS Cup Playoffs now look in tatters.

Now relying on sides above us to slip up, the games are running out but most disappointingly, there is a real lack of cohesion and ruthlessness in the team.

A side looking bereft of any genuine belief right now, Orlando City SC now face a testing three-game road streak starting with this rearranged visit to Foxborough to take on New England Revolution.

This Gillette Stadium-based fixture was originally scheduled for March 11th 2017 but due to Winter Storm Reggie, our initial first road game of the season has been delayed until now.

While it’s still not mathematically impossible for Orlando City SC to reach the 2017 MLS Cup Playoffs, it’s looking like more and more of a lost cause.

Crucially however, these next three road games are all against Eastern Conference opposition and if we are to stand any chance of playing beyond the regular season, we must win all three fixtures.

Our cause has been complicated however with Cyle Larin, Jonathan Spector, Will JohnsonYoshimar Yotún and Cristian Higuita all out of contention to face Revs due to international call-up’s, injuries and suspension.

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2015/17 head-to-head stats

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It’s been over a year since Orlando City SC last faced New England Revolution due to the postponement of March 2017’s encounter.

That said, City have good memories from the last time the sides faced each other and it was a poignant fixture too.

Marking Jason Kreis‘ first game in charge of Orlando City SC after succeeding Adrian Heath, the Lions beat their Massachusetts opposition 3-1 thanks to a Cyle Larin goal and a brace from Kevin Molino.

The win was even more impressive considering goalscoring nemesis Kei Kamara had initially put Revs 0-1 up after just 20 minutes.

Orlando City SC 3 New England Revolution 1 – Highlights – July 31, 2016 (Credit: New England Revolution)

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Look on this stat positively and New England Revolution have only managed to beat Orlando City SC once.

Look on it negatively and the Lions have only managed to bag three points from Jay Heaps’ team once.

When these two get together, draws are usually the order of the day and while a point at Gillette Stadium would normally be respectable, only three points will do for Orlando City SC in our current predicament.

Add the fact that Revs were just two points below us following Gameweek 25 and you realise that we simply cannot give the hosts any encouragement in this match-up.

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The good news for Orlando City SC is that Jay Heaps’ New England Revolution failed to defeat the Lions in all of 2016.

Only managing two draws and a defeat against our men in purple, the Lions haven’t been pushovers when facing Revs.

Obviously, Jason Kreis‘ team are wounded right now but this should offer some form of encouragement prior to the trip up the Eastern Seaboard.

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When digging to see who the real danger men are for New England Revolution, two names stand out – particularly when facing Orlando City SC.

Looking back over this game series, Diego Fagúndez and Juan Agudelo have fared well when facing City, each scoring TWO goals against us in MLS so far.

Both players scored in the same game when Revs drew 2-2 with City in April’s head-to-head last year.

Despite floundering in eleventh place in the Eastern Conference after Gameweek 25, Revs still boast a plethora of talented attackers including this duo plus Lee Nguyen, Teal Bunbury, Kei Kamara and new boy Krisztián Németh.

New England Revolution 2 Orlando City SC 2 – Highlights – April 30, 2016 (Credit: New England Revolution)

New England Revolution form

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The bad news for Orlando City SC is that New England Revolution are side in great home form right now.

Failing to win a single MLS fixture away from home so far in 2017, Jay Heaps’ men are way too overly reliant on getting three points at Gillette Stadium.

Seeing off LA Galaxy 4-3, Philadelphia Union 3-0 and Vancouver Whitecaps 1-0 in their last THREE home encounters, this run must be halted by City to avoid a totally meaningless end to the season.

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Anything but a prolific goalscorer in Major League Soccer, Teal Bunbury has enjoyed good form in front of goal lately however.

Capped four times by the United States, Bunbury has scored TWO goals in his last THREE MLS appearances for New England Revolution.

Equalising away at New York City FC the last time he scored, the 27-year-old helped Revs to a slender 1-0 victory over Vancouver Whitecaps a game beforehand.

Orlando City SC form

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We don’t need reminding but Orlando City SC‘s consecutive winless streak now stands a total of SEVEN games.

Last tasting victory at Real Salt Lake back on June 30th, Orlando City SC‘s form simply hasn’t been good enough, no matter which way you look at it.

Suffering from a real lack of ruthlessness recently, we could’ve picked up so many points had we taken all of our chances.

Dominating first-half possession against Vancouver Whitecaps last time out, yet trailing 0-1 at the break thanks to Tommy Redding‘s own goal, a series of if’s, but’s and maybe’s have left City fans feeling hugely frustrated over the past few months.

Orlando City SC 1 Vancouver Whitecaps 2 – Highlights – August 26, 2017 (Credit: Major League Soccer)

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