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Following a narrow 2-1 loss at Real Salt Lake and our third defeat of the 2019 Major League Soccer campaign, James O’Connor‘s Orlando City SC will look to bounce back at home against Vancouver Whitecaps.
The Canadian side embark on their furthest trip of the MLS season with new head coach Marc Dos Santos having just earned his first league victory at the seventh attempt against Los Angeles FC (1-0) on Wednesday.
After the furore of Orlando City SC‘s thrilling 4-3 win against Colorado Rapids, the Lions’ performance at Real Salt Lake disappointingly lacked energy and enthusiasm throughout.
Following the defeat, fingers were pointed towards James O’Connor making the big call to leave both Dom Dwyer and Nani on the bench, a decision that in hindsight looked a poor one.
The first long-haul trip Nani has made in Major League Soccer so far, O’Connor clearly wanted to tread carefully with his acclimatisation but this seemed a strange choice following such an impact with his first two Lions goals a week previous.
Indeed registering his third strike for the Lions at RSL, a fine free-kick that beat Nick Rimando following his 56th minute substitution, an improved Orlando City SC second-half performance certainly coincided with the Portuguese forward’s introduction.
With that game now gone, you truly feel Orlando City SC need all three points against Vancouver Whitecaps with a tough looking streak following this fixture.
Within the space of just 19 days after this game, James O’Connor‘s Lions will travel to New York City FC, Atlanta United and Seattle Sounders while facing Toronto FC at home.
With all four sides very capable opponents on their day, a win against a Caps side still searching for their first away victory of the season, will be imperative for squad and supporter morale going forward.
There will also be a temporary change of colour scheme from our iconic purple to navy and teal for this particular MLS encounter. Indeed, the limited edition 2019 Orlando City SC Adidas Parley jersey will be showcased during this fixture.
With Caps wearing a teal and navy Adidas Parley jersey too, the wearing of the eco-friendly jerseys coincides with Earth Day weekend and an environmental awareness initiative between MLS WORKS celebrating the Greener Goals Week of Service.
2015/18 head-to-head stats
The good news for Orlando City SC is that Alphonso Davies is no longer around for Vancouver Whitecaps!
Since we last faced the side from British Columbia, the 18-year-old of course completed a league record breaking transfer to German giants Bayern Munich in July 2018.
A month prior to his dream transfer to Europe, Davies was the orchestrator of a resounding 5-2 victory for Caps at BC Place.
With Welshman Carl Robinson then in charge of Caps, the Canadian international was a constant nuisance to the Orlando City SC defence as a brace from Kei Kamara (him, yet again!) and strikes from Davies, Yordy Reyna and Nicolás Mezquida.
Considering Sacha Kljestan had tied the game 1-1 on 64 minutes, the way in which Jason Kreis‘ Orlando City SC collapsed after this was bitterly disappointing.
Vancouver Whitecaps 5 Orlando City SC 2 – Highlights – June 9, 2018 (Credit: Major League Soccer)
Vancouver Whitecaps are still unbeaten against Orlando City SC four games deep into this once-a-season Major League Soccer match-up.
With THREE victories and ONE draw played out so far, the Lions really need all three points in what is proving to be a keenly contested Eastern Conference yet again.
The last time Caps visited Orlando City Stadium in August 2017, the Canadian side took three points all 3,280 miles back to British Columbia courtesy of a Tommy Redding own goal and strike from returning ex-Lion Brek Shea.
Despite a Cyle Larin consolation strike, Orlando City SC couldn’t turn the two-goal deficit and we can ill afford a similar slip up against one of Major League Soccer’s lesser forces right now.
Orlando City SC 1 Vancouver Whitecaps 2 – Highlights – August 26, 2017 (Credit: Major League Soccer)
Orlando City SC form
We’ve spoken about this really bad habit in previous stats previews and unfortunately, this unwanted stat still lingers.
Now conceding the first goal in our last SIX home fixtures in Major League Soccer, for whatever the reason Orlando City SC are starting games at Orlando City Stadium incredibly slow.
Whether it’s nerves we don’t know but with the vociferous chanting of The Wall behind them, you’d think this would give the team an advantage.
But against Seattle Sounders and Columbus Crew last season and New York City FC, Montreal Impact, D.C. United and Colorado Rapids this, our fans have gotten used to laborious starts with mountains to climb.
This is something we really need to stamp out against Vancouver Whitecaps with strong home form being the bedrock on which any side aiming to reach the post-season relies on.
Not only have we been conceding the first goal at Orlando City Stadium but Orlando City SC have gotten used to conceding way too many goals at home.
Conceding AT LEAST TWO GOALS in our last FOUR consecutive home fixtures in MLS, this is simply too many for a team craving an eventual place in the 2019 MLS Cup Playoffs.
While we rescued deficits against New York City FC and Colorado Rapids, comebacks were in vain against Montreal Impact and D.C. United.
The manner of some of the goals conceded in those games has been far too amateurish also, particularly the way in which Shane O’Neill surrendered the ball for Ignacio Piatti against Impact plus Nicolás Mezquida’s free header versus Rapids to name two gift wrapped goals.
Vancouver Whitecaps form
The good news for Orlando City SC is that the Lions are facing a side still in search of their first away win of the season.
New head coach Marc Dos Santos has overseen one win, two draws and four losses so far this term with Caps surrendering a one-goal lead to Nemanja Nikolić who converted a penalty in the last ten minutes of last weekend’s 1-1 draw at Chicago Fire.
That said, Caps upset the form guide with an impressive clean sheet victory (1-0) over Western Conference leaders LAFC on Wednesday.
There will be some familiar faces at Orlando City Stadium with former Lions PC and Scott Sutter now on Vancouver Whitecaps’ roster but make no mistake, Orlando City SC need all three points in this one with a tough streak following this fixture.
Chicago Fire 1 Vancouver Whitecaps 1 – Highlights – April 12, 2019 (Credit: Major League Soccer)