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After the busiest and most exciting off-season in Orlando City SC history, our 2018 MLS home opener against D.C. United is now only days away.
Opening the season at home for a fourth consecutive season in Major League Soccer, Orlando City Stadium will be vociferous cauldron of purple as The Wall cheer on a new-look Lions side.
Making 13 additions this winter, the Orlando City SC Front Office has aggressively set about ensuring that Jason Kreis‘ side finally reach the MLS Cup Playoffs in 2018.
With Sacha Kljestan (currently suspended) and Justin Meram representing the standout arrivals, experienced pros such as Uri Rosell and Lamine Sané make this Orlando City SC roster particularly menacing.
Not only adding experience, the Lions have also signed a talented crop of younger pros including Cam Lindley and Chris Mueller, not forgetting our new Young Designated Player from Paraguay – Josué Colmán.
While bringing in so many new additions is incredibly exciting, these players will need time to gel.
Head coach Jason Kreis has already reiterated that there isn’t a first eleven that picks itself with every player on the roster capable of stepping in.
As for our 2018 home opener opponents, Orlando City SC couldn’t have hoped for a better rival to hopefully steal all three points from.
Losing 10 of their last 12 away fixtures in MLS, Ben Olsen’s side were the only side worse than Orlando City SC in the Eastern Conference last season, finishing bottom and seven points worse than the Lions’ disappointing haul of 39 points.
Looking back on the previous three head-to-heads, it makes for superb reading with Orlando City SC completing a hat-trick of consecutive victories over the Black and Red.
2015/17 head-to-head stats
Last facing one another at RFK Stadium in September 2017, Orlando City SC stole all three points in a feisty encounter in the District of Columbia.
One of only three MLS away wins all season long, Orlando City SC raced into a 0-2 lead as soon as the 28th minute through goals from Cyle Larin and Giles Barnes.
The Lions’ task of protecting the lead became much harder when Servando Carrasco received a second yellow and red in the 79th minute.
Pressure told in the 89th minute when Kofi Opare stabbed home a consolation before all hell broke loose!
As D.C. United desperately chased an equaliser, Lloyd Sam and Seb Hines were caught in an off-the-ball wrestling match.
Referee Dave Gantar frustratingly issued a straight red card to Hines while Lloyd Sam only received yellow for what looked like six of one and half a dozen of the other.
A frantic ending to the fixture, Orlando City SC remarkably got out of RFK Stadium with all three points despite leaving the field with nine men!
D.C. United 1 Orlando City SC 2 – Highlights – September 9, 2017 (Credit: Sports News Center)
Facing each other three times in our inaugural MLS season and two times each since, Orlando City SC boast four victories to D.C. United’s three.
With both these sides yet to draw a Major League Soccer fixture, let’s hope we can pull away in this game series with all three points on opening weekend.
When Orlando City SC and D.C. United meet, we usually get plenty of goalmouth action!
Looking back at the last FOUR head-to-heads, both sides scored in THREE of these fixtures.
No longer calling upon Cyle Larin‘s goalscoring ability, Dom Dwyer and co know that they will have to chip in with their fair share of goals in 2018.
We told you these games produce plenty of goalmouth action!
After all, in THREE of the last FOUR MLS head-to-heads, we’ve witnessed THREE OR MORE goals being scored.
The most goal crazy of these games was a 4-2 victory for the Lions over Ben Olsen’s side in our very final fixture of the 2016 Major League Soccer campaign.
Bidding goodbye to Camping World Stadium with all three points on the day, goals from Kevin Molino, Kaká, Cristian Higuita and Júlio Baptista saw off the old venue in style.
Orlando City SC 4 D.C. United 2 – Highlights – October 23, 2016 (Credit: Major League Soccer)
Orlando City SC form
Orlando City SC supporters have been lucky enough to see their side perform at the earliest opportunity for the last three consecutive seasons in MLS.
Better still, Orlando City SC remain undefeated in Major League Soccer home openers to date.
Drawing 1-1 with New York City FC in our inaugural MLS fixture, the Lions followed this up with a dramatic 2-2 draw with Real Salt Lake in 2016 before defeating Patrick Vieira’s New York City FC 1-0 in March 2017.
Orlando City SC 1 New York City FC 0 – Highlights – March 5, 2017 (Credit: Major League Soccer)
D.C. United form
The great news for Orlando City SC heading into this one is the fact that D.C. United travelled poorly in 2017.
Losing 10 of their last 12 away fixtures in Major League Soccer, Ben Olsen’s side have a clean slate in 2018 but this evidence suggests Orlando City SC should fancy their chances.
Dig even deeper into D.C. United’s away form at the back end of 2017 and you’ll find that the Black and Red have conceded AT LEAST 2 GOALS in EIGHT of their last NINE road fixtures.
With D.C. thrashed 4-0 by Portland Timbers in their final away fixture of 2017, Orlando City SC will be hoping to get off to the kind of start we experienced last season – winning six of our opening seven games.
The key learning for 2018 will be maintaining a winning mentality throughout the campaign with Orlando City SC winning just FOUR of the remaining 27 fixtures in a hugely disappointing 2017 season.