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Having not scored an MLS goal since September 1 and now equalling an all-time league worst goals conceded total of 70, the end of the season can’t come quick enough for Orlando City SC.
The year 2018 has turned out to be an absolute disaster for the Lions with James O’Connor‘s side yet again looking bereft of ideas in a gutless 2-0 defeat at New England Revolution.
Even the most optimistic of Orlando City SC supporters wouldn’t be able to find anything positive to say right now with the Lions requiring huge surgery in the off-season.
Aside from Adam Grinwis who made a series of saves to keep the score down and Chris Mueller who kept on running for the best part of 70 minutes, the lack of energy, fight and downright ability is proving difficult to watch right now.
Now facing our penultimate home game of a hugely forgettable season, Seattle Sounders visit Orlando City Stadium with Brian Schmetzer’s side currently four points above the red line in the Western Conference.
Last tasting Major League Soccer action back on October 8 where they swept aside Houston Dynamo 4-1 at CenturyLink Field, Sounders are suitably rested for this encounter.
The worst thing about Orlando City SC‘s current plight seems to be the lack of individual and collective responsibility and pride. The manner of some of our defeats has been difficult to accept with heads dropping as soon as we concede the first goal.
It’s blindingly obvious right now that this roster, originally assembled by Jason Kreis, will be broken up in the off-season.
Every Orlando City SC supporter will be hoping that the Front Office can successfully recruit personnel that can produce displays miles ahead of the current level of performances that have at times been simply unacceptable.
2015/17 head-to-head stats
Being a Western Conference franchise, Orlando City SC versus Seattle Sounders encounters only take place once a season with both sides last meeting at CenturyLink Field in June 2017.
Achieving a hugely respectable 1-1 draw at one of the most difficult away venues in Major League Soccer, stoppage time specialist Scott Sutter struck once again here.
After Will Bruin got the better of Jonathan Spector to put Sounders 1-0 up in only the 19th minute, Orlando City SC hung on in there before a fantastic finish.
Earning a dangerous free-kick taken after the allotted three minutes of stoppage time, Kaká delivered a delicious assist for Scott Sutter whose perfect header sailed past Stefan Frei in the nick of time.
Seattle Sounders 1 Orlando City SC 1 – Highlights – June 21, 2017 (Credit: Seattle Sounders FC)
Three meetings into this MLS game series, Seattle Sounders are commanding things with two victories and a draw so far.
Thumping the Lions 4-0 at CenturyLink Field in our inaugural 2015 season, Clint Dempsey was in unforgiving mood for the Rave Green in 2016’s encounter at Camping World Stadium.
Starting this game in the best way possible with a thumping header from Seb Hines putting Orlando City SC 1-0 up in just the seventh minute, this only served to spark the away side into life.
Surrendering our lead just seven minutes later when Clint Dempsey made no mistake off a pin point cross from Tyrone Mears, the USMNT legend added two more before the 50th minute.
Orlando City SC 1 Seattle Sounders 3 – Highlights – August 7, 2016 (Credit: Seattle Sounders FC)
For whatever reason, Orlando City SC versus Seattle Sounders fixtures seem to be feisty encounters with FOUR OR MORE yellow cards shown in TWO of the last THREE head-to-heads.
While both sides kept all eleven men on the field in August 2016’s 1-3 victory for Sounders and June 2017’s 1-1 draw, PRO Referees are usually kept busy in this fixture.
Orlando City SC form
Desperately, Orlando City SC have now gone 450 minutes without a single goal in Major League Soccer.
Scott Sutter was the last man to score for the Lions way back on September 1 when is stoppage time strike stole a point against Philadelphia Union at Orlando City Stadium.
With Josué Colmán deputising as a false nine in place of the missing Dom Dwyer and Stéfano Pinho at New England Revolution, we hadn’t even been scoring before this striker shortage in Foxborough.
Additionally, the most unwanted stat of all looks likely to be attained with three games remaining. Conceding our 70th goal of the season at Revs, this now ties Minnesota United’s league worst record set last season.
Seattle Sounders form
More bad news for Orlando City SC lay in the fact that Seattle Sounders have been superb travellers since July.
Winning FOUR of their last FIVE away fixtures in Major League Soccer including a rousing 1-2 victory at rivals Vancouver Whitecaps in the Cascadia Cup last month, Raúl Ruidíaz has been a superb mid-season addition.
Signing the Peruvian international striker in June, the 28-year-old bagged a brace against Caps with Ruidíaz currently on seven goals for the season.
Luckily for Orlando City SC, he is currently unavailable to Sounders with the striker away on Peruvian international duty alongside Yoshimar Yotún for Los Incas‘ international friendly against United States in East Hartford on Tuesday.
Yoshimar Yotún
Vancouver Whitecaps 1 Seattle Sounders 2 – Highlights – September 15, 2018 (Credit: Vancouver Whitecaps FC)